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Son at center of sperm harvest controversy dies

Posted at 6:47 PM, Nov 02, 2012
and last updated 2012-11-02 18:47:13-04

ROANOKE, Va. (WTVR) – A Roanoke man, hospitalized after suffering severe injuries from a traffic accident, has died according to a CNN spokesman.

Rufus McGill Jr., 19, made headlines because his parents were attempting to harvest his sperm. When the couple learned that McGill was medically brain dead, they inquired about  the procedure in order to possibly have grandchildren, in the event their son died.

They say they even found a urologist at the University of Virginia Medical Center to harvest the sperm, but they ran into a legal snag. Because McGill was no longer a minor, the parents were no longer his legal guardians and could not make legal decisions in his behalf.

According to the Roanoke Times, the family attempted to hire an attorney but none would take their case.