Young Woman Saves Sperm of Dying Husband
Last year, to the delight of both of their
families, the couple — both in their early 20s — married in a
fantasy-fulfilling wedding. The newlyweds worked hard, with Josh employed as a
mechanic at a local car dealership, and Amanda, who goes by "Mandy," working as
a beautician. From the beginning, their shared goal was to start a family. But
before those dreams could come true, tragedy struck.
On Oct. 12, Josh Garvin was riding his dirt bike when he crashed just blocks from home. His wife happened to be driving home and was one of the first people at the accident scene.
"I pulled up to the side, and as I got closer, I saw Josh, lying on the ground," Mandy Garvin told Good Morning America . "He had flipped over the handlebars and smacked on his head. He lost control of the bike. I just said, 'babe, don't leave me,' and we waited for the ambulance."
Her husband was conscious and even feisty. He didn't want to go to the hospital, but Mandy insisted. It turned out that Josh, who wasn't wearing his helmet, suffered a severe brain injury.
In the hospital, he slipped in and out of consciousness for about a week. Josh's brain swelled, and while he knew his family, he seemed as though he were unaware of his surroundings, speaking as though he were in church, or out dirt biking.
Left Brain Dead
Mandy Garvin recalled that her husband still looked handsome, even with a swollen head, but then things got worse. Surgery to relieve pressure on Josh's brain didn't go well, and the 24-year-old was left brain-dead. Mandy, just 22, faced a nightmare — saying goodbye to the man she loved.
Before unplugging the ventilator that was keeping Josh alive, Mandy Garvin asked doctors at Swedish Medical Center if her husband's sperm be harvested so that someday she might fulfill their dream of having a baby. "To go on with myself, I need a piece of Josh," Mandy Garvin said. "I know I have a piece of him, but I need more."
But a Colorado sperm bank and an organ donation agency rejected her request. The sperm bank said it was against its licensing rules and that she needed the donor's written consent — clearly impossible. Josh Garvin's designation as an organ donor on his driver's license was not enough. The organ donation agency said its mission was harvesting organs — not reproductive cells — to save lives, and it had no specialists to help.
Mandy Garvin was frustrated and upset.
"We were running out of time," she said. "The hospital was great, the nurses were trying to help find a place to store the sperm. The harvesting wasn't a problem, it was the storage."
However, the family soon learned that a California company would store the sperm, and a urologist in Denver would do the procedure. Josh Garvin's sperm, and his organs, were harvested, and California Cryobank stored the sperm.
Saying Goodbye
Two days later, Josh and Mandy's families gathered for the day they were dreading: They had to say goodbye to Josh.
"It was terrible," Mandy Garvin said. "I couldn't be there when they turned off the machines. I said my goodbye before that."
Josh Garvin died on Oct. 21, but Mandy and his family are proud of the fact that his organs have gone on to help 50 people.
Garvin's heart and liver went to Colorado recipients. One kidney went to Texas, the other to California. Garvin's pancreas went to Minnesota. His lungs and small intestines were too damaged for transplant, but they went to research, family members said.
Mandy Gavin said that her husband always wore a helmet, but for some reason — perhaps because he was just a few blocks from home — he didn't on the day of the accident. She knows that he would want her to make sure his death serves as a lesson.
"I think he would want kids to know that this is what happens when you don't wear helmets, even one time," she said.
Now, Mandy Garvin is anxious to have a baby, though she wants to give herself some time to recover from Josh's death.
"I can't wait," she said. "That was my all-time dream."
On Oct. 12, Josh Garvin was riding his dirt bike when he crashed just blocks from home. His wife happened to be driving home and was one of the first people at the accident scene.
"I pulled up to the side, and as I got closer, I saw Josh, lying on the ground," Mandy Garvin told Good Morning America . "He had flipped over the handlebars and smacked on his head. He lost control of the bike. I just said, 'babe, don't leave me,' and we waited for the ambulance."
Her husband was conscious and even feisty. He didn't want to go to the hospital, but Mandy insisted. It turned out that Josh, who wasn't wearing his helmet, suffered a severe brain injury.
In the hospital, he slipped in and out of consciousness for about a week. Josh's brain swelled, and while he knew his family, he seemed as though he were unaware of his surroundings, speaking as though he were in church, or out dirt biking.
Left Brain Dead
Mandy Garvin recalled that her husband still looked handsome, even with a swollen head, but then things got worse. Surgery to relieve pressure on Josh's brain didn't go well, and the 24-year-old was left brain-dead. Mandy, just 22, faced a nightmare — saying goodbye to the man she loved.
Before unplugging the ventilator that was keeping Josh alive, Mandy Garvin asked doctors at Swedish Medical Center if her husband's sperm be harvested so that someday she might fulfill their dream of having a baby. "To go on with myself, I need a piece of Josh," Mandy Garvin said. "I know I have a piece of him, but I need more."
But a Colorado sperm bank and an organ donation agency rejected her request. The sperm bank said it was against its licensing rules and that she needed the donor's written consent — clearly impossible. Josh Garvin's designation as an organ donor on his driver's license was not enough. The organ donation agency said its mission was harvesting organs — not reproductive cells — to save lives, and it had no specialists to help.
Mandy Garvin was frustrated and upset.
"We were running out of time," she said. "The hospital was great, the nurses were trying to help find a place to store the sperm. The harvesting wasn't a problem, it was the storage."
However, the family soon learned that a California company would store the sperm, and a urologist in Denver would do the procedure. Josh Garvin's sperm, and his organs, were harvested, and California Cryobank stored the sperm.
Saying Goodbye
Two days later, Josh and Mandy's families gathered for the day they were dreading: They had to say goodbye to Josh.
"It was terrible," Mandy Garvin said. "I couldn't be there when they turned off the machines. I said my goodbye before that."
Josh Garvin died on Oct. 21, but Mandy and his family are proud of the fact that his organs have gone on to help 50 people.
Garvin's heart and liver went to Colorado recipients. One kidney went to Texas, the other to California. Garvin's pancreas went to Minnesota. His lungs and small intestines were too damaged for transplant, but they went to research, family members said.
Mandy Gavin said that her husband always wore a helmet, but for some reason — perhaps because he was just a few blocks from home — he didn't on the day of the accident. She knows that he would want her to make sure his death serves as a lesson.
"I think he would want kids to know that this is what happens when you don't wear helmets, even one time," she said.
Now, Mandy Garvin is anxious to have a baby, though she wants to give herself some time to recover from Josh's death.
"I can't wait," she said. "That was my all-time dream."
ABCnews.com reports :
"Amanda Elliott and Joshua Garvin were high school sweet hearts before they were married last August. When Joshua was declared brain dead after an accidect this fall, she had his sperm preserved..."
"Before unplugging the ventilator that was keeping Josh alive, Mandy Garvin asked doctors at Swedish Medical Center if her husband's sperm be harvested so that someday she might fulfill their dream of having a baby. "To go on with myself, I need a piece of Josh," Mandy Garvin said. "I know I have a piece of him, but I need more..."
Posted: Wed - December 3, 2003 at 08:51 AM
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Published On: Sep 17, 2004 12:36 AM
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Published On: Sep 17, 2004 12:36 AM