UK Welcomes First Baby Born From Deceased Donor Womb in Historic Medical Breakthrough

A baby boy has become the first child in the United Kingdom to be born after his mother received a womb transplant from a deceased donor, marking a historic milestone in reproductive medicine.

The child, named Hugo, was delivered just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, weighing nearly 3.1 kilograms.

His mother, Grace Bell, who is in her 30s, was born without a functioning womb due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.

At the age of 16, she was told she would never be able to carry her own child.

Speaking after the birth of her now 10-week-old son, Bell described him as “simply a miracle.”

Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, said they remain deeply conscious of the extraordinary generosity shown by the donor and her family, as well as the efforts of specialist medical teams in Oxford and London who made the birth possible.

When she received confirmation that a donor had been found, Bell recalled feeling “in complete shock” but also “really excited.”

She has since spoken movingly about the impact of the anonymous donor’s decision.

“I think of my donor and her family every day and pray they find some peace in knowing their daughter gave me the biggest gift, the gift of life,” she said.

“A part of her will live on forever,” Bell added.

Complex Surgery and Careful Planning

Bell underwent a 10-hour transplant operation at The Churchill Hospital in June 2024.

The procedure was followed by in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer at The Lister Fertility Clinic, culminating in a successful pregnancy.

Reflecting on the moment she first saw her son, Bell said: “It was simply a miracle. 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.”

Hugo’s birth forms part of a UK clinical trial involving 10 womb transplant procedures.

While another baby, Amy, was born earlier in 2025 following a transplant from a living donor, Hugo is the first child in the UK born from a deceased donor womb.

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Medical Breakthrough Offers New Hope

Gynaecologist Professor Richard Smith, who began researching womb transplantation 25 years ago and was present at Hugo’s birth, described the achievement as the product of, “a huge team of people.”

In recognition of his long-standing work, the couple gave their son the middle name Richard.

Transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga called the birth a breakthrough moment, explaining that the trial aims to determine whether womb transplantation can become an approved and widely available treatment for women without a uterus.

The donor’s parents, who remain anonymous, expressed “tremendous pride” in their daughter’s legacy.

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In addition to donating her womb, she donated five other organs to four separate recipients.

“Through organ donation, she has given other families the precious gift of time, hope, healing, and now life,” her family said.

Globally, more than 100 womb transplants have been carried out, resulting in over 70 healthy births.

Medical teams involved in the UK trial described Hugo’s arrival as a ground-breaking development that could extend hope to many women facing similar diagnoses and reshape future fertility treatment options.

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A woman on a maternity bed is being consoled by nurses just before delivery. PHOTO/ Shutterstock.