We have always been people of curiosity and exploration, in pursuit of knowledge and the possibilities it reveals. And now, as we stand at the brink of a scientific marvel, we feel a sense of exhilaration we’ve never felt before. Barbara and I are Founding Members of the Southern Cryonics program in Australia, a decision that stemmed from an unexpected interplay we had with life, death, and extended life.
Cryonics is a cutting-edge scientific process that involves the preservation of a person’s body and brain at extremely low temperatures with the plan that future medical technologies will be able to revive them and potentially cure currently incurable diseases. It is the ultimate embodiment of the human spirit of exploration and the relentless human quest for immortality.
Our journey to this point is a story of extraordinary circumstances. I had been living with advanced prostate cancer for five years when Barbara and I decided we wanted to start a new family. At the time, I was in my early fifties with no viable sperm due to massive radiation treatments and Barbara was 42 – described by doctors as ‘geriatric’ in terms of possible conception and childbirth. The path we embarked upon was DNA recovery from my body, then using the IVF process, the result of which would lead us to the precipice of a fascinating revelation.
During our IVF journey, one of our embryos was cryopreserved, a process that amazed us. We were in awe of a technology that could pause the development of a tiny embryo, a human life in the making, with the potential to freeze it and restart it at a later time. Our son, Brandon – now 19 – was born and 3 years later his twin sister – now 16 – was born. It was this awe-inspiring experience that first piqued our interest in cryonics. We wondered if a life on hold could be resumed, why did life ever have to come to an end?
“Life is fabulous, why does it have to come to an end?”
So what kind of world might we wake up to? It’s a question that boggles the imagination. Will it be a world of unprecedented medical advancements, where diseases like cancer are a thing of the past? A world where technology has advanced to such an extent that revival from cryopreservation is not just possible but routine, just as it now is for fetus storing?
We don’t have the answers – yet. But the thrill of this adventure lies in the questions themselves, in the possibility of being part of a story that future generations may tell as a turning point in human history. We are stepping into the future unknown, fuelled by our love for life and our anticipation for the future.
The cryonics journey, for us, is a testament to human resilience, the ever-persistent quest for knowledge, and an affirmation of life’s inherent worth. The road ahead is uncharted, but Barbara and I are ready, hand-in-hand, to step into the future, whatever it may be.
