Man who froze deceased wife sparks debate for dating new partner

A Chinese language man who cryogenically froze his lifeless spouse has sparked an internet ethical debate after Chinese language media revealed he had been courting a brand new girlfriend as his former associate lay preserved in liquid nitrogen.

As an indication of his devotion, Gui Junmin determined to freeze his spouse Zhan Wenlian’s physique after she died from lung most cancers in 2017, aged 49, making her China’s first cryogenically preserved particular person.

However after a November interview revealed he had been courting a unique associate since 2020, Chinese language social media has been torn on Mr Junmin’s predicament.

While some requested why the 57-year-old did not simply “let go” one other commenter remarked he seemed to be “most dedicated to himself”.

After Zhan Wenlian was given months to dwell by medical doctors, Gui Junmin determined to make use of cryonics – which is scientifically unproven – to protect her physique as soon as she died.

Following her dying, he signed a 30-year settlement to protect his spouse’s frozen physique with the Shandong Yinfeng Life Science Research Institute.

Since then, Zhan’s physique has been saved in a 2,000-litre container on the institute in a vat of -190C liquid nitrogen.

Chinese language newspaper Southern Weekly revealed that though Mr Junmin lived alone for 2 years after the process, in 2020 he started courting once more, regardless of his spouse remaining in cryopreservation.

He advised the newspaper {that a} extreme gout assault which left him unable to maneuver for 2 days started to vary his thoughts about the advantages of residing alone.

Quickly after, he began seeing his present associate Wang Chunxia, though Mr Junmin prompt to the paper the love was solely “utilitarian” and that she hadn’t “entered” his coronary heart.

Reacting to the information, some commentators on the Chinese language social media web site Weibo confirmed sympathy with Mr Junmin’s plight, highlighting how lengthy it had been since his spouse was put within the cryogenic chamber.

Some believed it was time for him to maneuver on from his frozen former partner, including he ought to, “let the departed…relaxation in peace”.

However others prompt the he had acted selfishly to solely “fulfill his emotional wants”, with one put up questioning “Would Zhan conform to this? Is it honest to Wang?”.

Cryonics is the place the entire physique is cooled all the way down to sub-zero temperatures, infused with cryoprotectants – which is analogous to antifreeze – to forestall ice crystal formation, then preserved in liquid nitrogen.

The hope is that the physique can sooner or later be revived when future know-how makes this potential.

The observe is presently used at a smaller scale in day-to-day drugs, the place residing cells corresponding to blood cells, sperm and embryos are frozen at ultra-low temperatures to be saved.

It is estimated that over 500 folks have been cryogenically preserved worldwide, the vast majority of them within the US.

Nobody has ever been efficiently revived following cryopreservation, and scientists imagine that preserving and reawakening the entire human physique continues to be a distant chance.