Woman wins right to use dead son's sperm to have grandchild

[The Straight Story]

In August 2002, 19-year-old Sergeant Kevin Cohen was guarding an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip. At 7 a.m. he was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper. It was that bullet that killed Kevin and his dream, which he had related to his mother, Rachel Cohen, of one day fathering a child.

But this week, four years after his death, a dramatic ruling by an Israeli court means Kevin Cohen’s dream may very well come true.

...
It was a mother's instinct that led Cohen to request doctors to freeze her dead son’s sperm. Cohen said she had a dream one year after her son died.

"He appeared in my dream and asked me, mom what’s with my child? Please hurry," said Cohen. "I woke up with a big sweat and decided to go ahead, all the way."

Then came the legal battle, which was fought around the ruling permitting only the wife of a deceased man to extract his sperm and to become impregnated by it. The new ruling now recognizes the parent’s right over a dead child’s sperm.

.....

The process of finding a mother for Kevin Cohen’s child took more than two years. Two hundred women were interviewed, medical tests were conducted, meetings with psychologists took place and finally one was chosen. "She won my heart right away," said Cohen.

http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/18/33735.aspx

[pitohui]

1. ho-kay

a 19 year old with a "dream" of fathering a son? why do i think it's really grandma who has the dream?

[SoCalDem]

7. He may have had a dream of being a father, but I doubt that his mother was part of his dreams

Most 19 year olds are not thinking about making Mom a grandma when they are 19. They may want a bond with their girlfriend/wife, but Mom is not usually part of the process unless it's to babysit..

creeeeepy..

(although I do feel badly for her)

[aikoaiko]

26. You don't have a jewish mother do you?

;)

[SoCalDem]

28. nope.. That must be it :)

[Megahurtz]

2. Just Wacky. n/t

[BayCityProgressive]

5. GROSS!

THIS KID IS GONNA BE MESSED UP! SHE IS GOING TO CONVINCE IT THAT IT'S HER DEAD CHILD! WHAT A FREAK

[hlthe2b]

10. I wonder what she would have done if the courts had denied her?

Maybe have her poor dead son stuffed? :sarcasm:

Ok, off-sarcasm. I empathize with this woman, but I think she should have had some counseling before the courts weighed in on her request...

[JVS]

3. Mothers should not be involved with the semen of their sons

[SoCalDem]

6. AMEN n/t

[majorjohn]

22. I agree n/t

[tnlefty]

23. Ah ha, so this means that I don't have to do the laundry anymore!!!

:evilgrin:

Seriously, though, I truly agree.

[MountainLaurel]

24. And vice versa

Even if your son is an adult, he doesn't need to know you haven't had sex with your husband in 10 years.

[indie_voter]

25. Agreed. n/t

[Sugar Smack]

29. Sound wisdom, indeed.

:freak: Good lord.

[xchrom]

4. aw -- that's very sweet.

it's her way of making lemonade when life gave her a very, very sour lemon.

[AndyA]

8. Disturbing.

I guess I can kind of understand the Mother wanting to keep her son alive in some way, but this just doesn't seem right. If the guy were engaged to be married, or had a long time girlfriend that he was planning to marry, it would be a different story.

But going out and finding someone to have his child after the fact seems a bit strange.

[jelly]

9. I'm sorry, I think that's weird.

edited to change "gross" to "weird" because I misunderstood the plan. :blush:

[indie_voter]

20. I misunderstood too

Glad it wasn't what I thought....

[kestrel91316]

11. This is in Israel. Not sure how it would pan out in the US.

AFAIAC the Israeli courts can rule in accordance with their laws............it really doesn't matter one way or another to me.

Personally I find it slightly creepy. But I'm not the one who lost a son.

[Bluebear]

12. Dreaming of her son, who said "Please hurry, go ahead, all the way"?

And she woke up in a sweat?

Oh my.

[bluewave]

13. 200 people wanting some random guy's baby?

Okay, that's just... All I'll say is: only in Israel.

[Bluebear]

15. In the US we'd have a reality show "I want Kevin's baby!"

There would be elimination weeks, whittling down the 200 to a hopeful dozen or so, who would compete in motherly games until only one surrogate remained standing victorious, the winner of the sperm. And a Chevy Aveo.

[HuffleClaw]

33. they haven't already done that ?

[rockymountaindem]

32. What's that supposed to mean?

This kind of thing happens all the time in the US. It's called surrogate parenthood.

[Horse with no Name]

14. I feel bad for this woman

At age 19, it is not unusual for him to not have met the woman of his dreams yet so why should his legacy be predetermined by his untimely and premature death?
I have no idea what type of relationship she had with her son or what their conversations might have been. I know many teens that KNOW that they want children so I have no reason to doubt that he wasn't one of these kids.
Obviously she has the means to raise this child.
Live and let live.
It's her choice and it's another chance to cherish her son and his legacy.
I wish them all the luck!

[Richard Steele]

16. This is some VERY twisted shit. That woman needs COUNSELLING, not a "grandchild".

What a fucked up world.

[Bronyraurus]

17. Talk about tightening the umbilical cord!

Didn't Pink Floyd do a song about this kind of thing?

[Sapere aude]

18. This reminds me of a story. My wife and I don't have kids and it isn't by choice but it is fun to

hear from those who think we decided to be selfish and go childless. One woman asked me this, "What about what her mother wants?" I answered, "well she is still young enough I guess, let her have some more kids if she wants."

[aquart]

19. Jewish traditions aren't exactly against this.

We have levirate marriages. Your brother dies you have to marry his wife and the firstborn is considered the brother's child.

We have Lot's daughters getting him drunk so they could get pregnant because there weren't any other options.

It's just not that big a stretch.

[Catherine Vincent]

21. How weird.

Just implant the semen in another woman willing to go through the pregnancy.

[aikoaiko]

27. I don't understand why so many find this strange, continuing on the blood line is very powerful

for a lot of people. While it is extreme, it doesn't seem strange to me at all.

[Catherine Vincent]

30. It's strange because the picture in our minds is the mother

procreating with her son (at least in my mind). Blech!

[aikoaiko]

31. well I guess that would be pretty gross, but on the otherhand many a jewish mom

has picked the woman with which her son procreates. ;)