UK First: Baby Born After Womb Transplant from Deceased Donor

A baby boy, Hugo Powell, is the first in the United Kingdom to be born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor. This groundbreaking achievement offers new hope for women with uterine factor infertility, specifically those born without a viable womb or who have had it removed.

A Miracle for Grace Bell

Grace Bell, from Kent, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition affecting approximately one in every 5,000 women in the UK . MRKH syndrome results in the absence or underdevelopment of the uterus and vagina, but with functioning ovaries. Bell was informed at the age of 16 that she would be unable to carry a child.

“It was simply a miracle,” Bell shared, describing the moment she first saw her son. “I remember waking up in the morning and seeing his little face, with his little dummy in, and it felt like I needed to wake up from a dream. It was just incredible.”

Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, expressed their gratitude to the donor family and the medical teams involved in their journey.

The Transplant Process

The 10-hour womb transplant surgery took place at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024 . Following the transplant, Bell underwent IVF treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London. Hugo was born just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in west London, weighing nearly 7lbs . He is now 10 weeks old.

Expanding the Possibilities of Womb Transplantation

This birth marks the first successful delivery following a deceased donor womb transplant in the UK, with only two previous cases reported in Europe . The UK is currently conducting a clinical research trial involving 10 deceased donor womb transplants, with Hugo being the first baby born as part of this trial .

In early 2025, another significant milestone was achieved with the birth of a baby, Amy, following the first living womb donation in the UK, where the mother received a womb from her older sister . Five further womb transplants from close living relatives are planned.

A Legacy of Hope and Generosity

Consultant gynaecologist Prof Richard Smith, from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, who has been researching womb transplantation for over 25 years, was present at Hugo’s birth. He emphasized the collaborative effort of a large team involved in the operation, embryo transfer, and delivery. Bell and Powell honored Smith by giving their son the middle name Richard .

The donor’s parents expressed their “tremendous pride” in their daughter’s legacy, noting that she also donated five other organs, saving the lives of four other individuals .

The medical team plans to remove the transplanted womb after Bell and Powell decide if they want to have a second child, to avoid the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs .