Pei Xia Chen, the widow of slain NYPD detective Wenjian Liu, marks each Mother’s Day with a profound reminder of her late husband in their daughter Angelina, now eight years old. Angelina was born through artificial insemination using sperm preserved from Liu shortly after his death, about two and a half years following his 2014 murder.

Liu, 32, and his partner Detective Rafael Ramos, 40, were fatally shot while sitting in their marked police vehicle in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on December 20, 2014. The gunman, Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley, who harbored animosity toward law enforcement, killed both officers before taking his own life. Brinsley had earlier been sought in connection with a shooting in Baltimore involving his ex-girlfriend.

Chen and Liu had been married for just three months at the time of his death but were together for seven years prior. During their relationship, Liu had expressed a strong desire to become a father, a wish Chen was determined to fulfill despite the tragedy. Upon learning that Liu could not be saved, Chen immediately sought to preserve his sperm for future use, turning to procedures familiar to her such as sperm retrieval and in vitro fertilization.

Chen described a poignant moment on the night of Liu’s death, recalling a dream in which he appeared dressed in white, holding a newborn wrapped in white cloth, telling her, “This is our daughter.” Angelina, she said, bears a striking resemblance to her father, sharing his smile and warmth, offering a source of strength and comfort to Chen.

“Wenjian should be here with us,” Chen said in her Brooklyn home, voice faltering as she reflected on her loss. “But the pain is softened because I have Angelina... the greatest gift God has given me.”

The birth of Angelina stands as a testament to Liu’s enduring legacy and Chen’s resolve to preserve the dream of parenthood that her husband held dear.