--- title: "Parents of deceased West Point cadet retrieve his sperm so a part of him ‘might live on’" description: "They said they're \"desperate to have a small piece of Peter,\" after he was declared brain dead last week." date: "2019-03-05" modified: "2019-03-05" authors: - name: "Haley Britzky" job_title: "Former Army Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/west-point-cadet-sperm/" categories: - "Army" - "Around the World" - "Military Branches" - "News" - "United States" --- # Parents of deceased West Point cadet retrieve his sperm so a part of him ‘might live on’ ![]() After the death of their 21-year-old son, the parents of West Point cadet Peter Zhu were permitted to retrieve his sperm in hopes that "a small piece of Peter...might live on," [the Army Times reports](). - Zhu, member of the class of 2019 and president of the Cadet Medical Society, was declared brain dead last week after a skiing accident on February 23rd. - According to the Army Times, his parents Monica and Yongmin Zhu asked a state judge "for permission to retrieve his sperm before his organs were removed." The judge allowed it and the Westchester Medical Center retrieved the sperm and is storing it until a court hearing on March 21st. - The Zhu's said in their filing, according to the Army Times, that when their son passed, "our entire world turned upside down. ... We are desperate to have a small piece of Peter that might live on and continue to spread the joy and happiness that Peter brought to all of our lives." - Brig. Gen. Steve Gilland, commander of cadets at West Point, said per the Army Times that Peter "was one of the top cadets in the Class of 2019, very well-known and a friend to all. ... He embodied the ideals of the Corps of Cadets and its motto of Duty, Honor, Country and all who knew Peter will miss him." ### SEE NEXT: A Fallen Cadet Lived His Ideals To The End. What About The Rest Of Us? ### WATCH ALSO: Jim Mattis Addresses U.S. Military Academy Graduates ## Author Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]()