Each year on Mother’s Day, Pei Xia Chen receives gifts from her late husband, New York City police officer Wenjian Liu, as well as from her daughter, Angelina.
Angelina, who is full of energy at just 8 years old, was born about two and a half years after her father was tragically killed. This happened through artificial insemination using sperm collected shortly before his death.
“She really is my miracle baby,” Chen, 44, shared.
“What makes it special is how much she reminds me of her father, Wenjian. When I look at her, it feels like part of him is still here,” the widow reflected.
Liu, who was 32, and his partner, Detective Rafael Ramos, 40, lost their lives on December 20, 2014, while on patrol. They were shot by Ismail Abdullah Brinsley, a criminal with a known disdain for police, as they sat in their marked car in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Earlier that day, Brinsley had also shot his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore prior to committing his crime against Liu and Ramos.
Chen and Liu had been together for three months when the tragedy occurred after meeting through friends.
Throughout their relationship, Liu expressed his desire for children.
“He always wanted to be a father, even before we tied the knot,” she noted. “I wanted to ensure that his dream didn’t end with him.”
After learning that her husband wouldn’t survive, her immediate thought was about keeping his dreams alive.
Chen had some knowledge of sperm retrieval and in vitro fertilization and quickly inquired whether Liu’s sperm could be preserved.
That same night, she dreamed of Liu presenting her with a newborn.
“In my dream, Wenjian was dressed in white and handed me a small bundle swathed in a white blanket,” she recalled.
“He looked at me and said, ‘This is our daughter.’
The following morning, Dr. Peter Schlegel collected some of Liu’s sperm at the chief medical examiner’s office. This experience solidified her conviction that she’d made the right choice.
Angelina mirrors her father’s bright smile and warm nature, often bringing joy to Chen’s life, especially during the holiday season when she feels her husband’s absence the most.
“There’s always that sadness during the holidays,” her voice quivers as she speaks from home in Dyker Heights. “Wenjian should be here with us.”
Yet, she added, “Having Angelina helps ease that pain,” referring to her daughter as “my greatest treasure and the biggest gift from God.”
Angelina, a third-grader at a Catholic school, enjoys swimming, singing, and playing musical instruments like the piano and clarinet. She aspires to be a veterinarian one day, a thought that makes Chen believe Liu would be proud of their daughter.
Although Angelina never had a chance to meet her father, Chen works hard to preserve his memory and provide her daughter with the life she deserves.
“Angelina will always be my miracle baby, a living reminder of Wenjian,” said Chen, who stays at home to care for her. “My priority is to focus on raising Angelina, honoring my husband’s legacy, and ensuring her life is filled with love and happiness.”
“I feel grateful every day for the blessing of having Angelina in my life.”
