In a remarkable medical breakthrough, a baby boy has become the first child in the UK to be born from a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. Grace Bell, a 30-something woman from Kent, who was born without a viable womb, welcomed her son, Hugo, just before Christmas 2025. The couple, Grace and her partner Steve Powell, expressed profound gratitude towards the donor and her family for their extraordinary gift, which has opened a new chapter in reproductive possibilities.
A New Dawn for Womb Transplantation
Hugo’s arrival marks a significant milestone not only for Grace and Steve but also for the medical community, as it paves the way for future womb transplantations in the UK. Weighing nearly 7lbs at birth, Hugo was delivered at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in west London. Grace, who has a condition known as Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, learned at the tender age of 16 that she would be unable to carry a child. Yet, thanks to advances in medical science, she has now experienced the joy of motherhood.
“Words can’t quite express the sensation of holding him,” Grace shared with the BBC. “Hugo is simply a miracle.” The couple’s journey involved a complex series of medical procedures, including a 10-hour womb transplant surgery at The Churchill Hospital in June 2024, followed by IVF treatment and embryo transfer at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London.
The Journey to Motherhood
Grace’s emotional journey began with a phone call that changed everything: a womb had been made available for transplantation. “I was in complete shock and felt overwhelming excitement,” Grace recalled. However, she remained acutely aware of the gravity of the situation and the family’s sacrifice. “I think of my donor and her family every day and pray they find peace in knowing their daughter gave me the biggest gift: the gift of life,” she said.
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