Recently widowed Jermimah Moylan, left, plans on using her dead husband Sebastian's sperm to have a baby. Photo / GoFundMe
Recently widowed Jermimah Moylan, left, plans on using her dead husband Sebastian's sperm to have a baby. Photo / GoFundMe
A heartbroken widow who lost her husband to suicide has won the right to extract his sperm in a bid to start a family.
Wife Jermimah and late husband Sebastian Moylan had met at school at just 17 years of age and married in 2015.
Her husband was keen to start a family and took it upon himself to build his future family their dream home.
The couple were planning on trying for a baby in 2020, but Wednesday last week Sebastian took his own life.
Just hours after Sebastian's shock death, his heartbroken wife went down to the New South Wales Supreme Court seeking permission to have her husband's sperm removed from his body in a bid to keep the couple's dream alive of having a family.
Lawyers worked throughout the night before finalising her request before the court granted her permission to harvest Sebastian's sperm.
Jermimah told Daily Mail Australia said she wants to keep her husband's memory alive and give him the dream he so desperately wanted.
"It brings me some form of closure and some form of hope for a family with the only man I ever wanted to have one with," she told Daily Mail Australia.
"He would have made the most incredible dad and his future daughter or son will know how amazing he is and will grow up as if he's in the house."
A day later, a doctor from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital performed the surgery to remove the sperm.
Jermimah has 10 years to use the sperm before it becomes unusable, however, the legal fight is not over, with further legal permission needed to use it.
A GoFundMe page has been set up in order to help pay for her husband's funeral, as well as lawyer fees, court costs, urologists, scientists and the mortgage on the family home.
Jermimah, right, appealed to a court to have sperm removed from her husband's body. Photo / GoFundMe
THE BATTLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH
While there were no signs Sebastian would take his own life, Jermimah revealed her and her husband would spend every day talking about their own personal struggles.
Jermimah, who suffers from anxiety, said she knew of her husband's battles and wants to use the heartbreaking situation as a way to break the stigma of mental health.
"It's something I'm big on making awareness about and he would always have conversations about it. But he never gave any sign of going this far.
"He never really got over the death of his father 18 months ago. We all get stressed over work, money and life but taking that final step means he must have bottled more than we ever thought up.
"There's this negative stigma around males and telling someone about their feelings or what they are going through,' she said.
"Male mental health and suicide is on the rise and Australia not doing enough about it. Suicide is the end. There's no coming back from that and it's something that we as a family now know too well."
Following Jermimah's heartbreak, she has since encouraged other couples to write down their wishes and make it clear what you each want moving forward in case of tragedy.
So far more than $39,000 has been raised for Jermimah and her family.
Where to get help:
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7) • Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7) • Youthline: 0800 376 633 • Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7) • Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (1pm to 11pm) • Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7) • Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155 • Samaritans 0800 726 666 • If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call
