UK woman gives birth to first baby born following womb transplant from deceased donor, weighs 3 kg

Five additional organs from the same donor were transplanted into four recipients, saving their lives.

A baby boy has become the first child in the United Kingdom to be born to a mother who received a womb from a deceased donor.

Hugo Richard Norman Powell was delivered by caesarean section at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, in December 2025. He weighed 6lb 13oz (3.1kg) at birth.

According to the BBC, his mother, Grace Bell, an IT programme manager in her 30s from southern England, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition affecting approximately one in 5,000 women in the UK. The disorder results in the absence or underdevelopment of the uterus and vagina, although patients have normal ovaries. Bell was informed at the age of 16 that she would not be able to carry a pregnancy.

Recalling her diagnosis, she said she remembered “going into the hospital toilets and uncontrollably crying”.

Her transplantoperation took place in June 2024 at Churchill Hospital, part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Surgeons have described the procedure as complex, involving the connection of very small blood vessels. Reports state the operation lasted between seven and 10 hours.

Following recovery, Bell underwent in vitro fertilisation treatment and embryo transfer at the Lister Fertility Clinic.

The transplant formed part of a clinical research programme led by the charity Womb Transplant UK, which plans to carry out 10 womb transplants from deceased donors. Three such operations have been completed to date, but Hugo is the first baby born under the programme.

Globally, more than 100 womb transplants have been performed and more than 70 babies have been born as a result. Around 25 to 30 births worldwide have followed deceased donor transplants, with only two previous cases reported in Europe. More than two-thirds of womb transplants involve living donors, while around one-third are from deceased donors.

In early 2025, the UK’s first baby following a womb transplant from a living donor was born. In that case, the mother had received her sister’s womb.

Bell’s partner, Steve Powell, who works in finance, told pa.media that the moment their son was born was overwhelming. “When he came over the curtain, it was just sort of overwhelming emotions. I felt like I wanted to cry but couldn’t.

“From where we started – first meeting – to where we are today, with Hugo, is nothing short of a miracle after everything we’ve been through.”

Bell described the birth as life-changing. “It’s simply a miracle. I never, ever thought that this would be possible. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

Describing the delivery, she said: “I remember there was lots and lots of people in the room running around. I was holding Steve’s hand at the time. I remember trying to peek over the drapes, and Hugo finally got put in my arms, and this being the moment that everyone has been working so hard to achieve."

“Since I was 16, I never thought this was going to be possible. So it really is a miracle. It just felt quite unreal at the time because this has been a long journey for us both. 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.”

She said the couple were “in disbelief” when they learned she was pregnant, adding: “I felt the luckiest girl in the world.”

Bell paid tribute to the donor and her family. “There are no words to say thank you enough to my donor and her family,” she said. “Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a mum. I hope they know that my child will always know of their incredible gift, and the miracle that brought him into this world. 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."

"This isn’t a life-saving donation but it is a life-giving one. From the moment of my diagnosis, every birthday when I blew out my candles, I would wish for this – to be able to experience pregnancy. I want the donor’s family to know how much of a gift they have given to me. They have fulfilled all of my dreams, everything has come true," Bell told pa.media.

Five additional organs from the same donor were transplanted into four recipients, saving their lives.

The donor’s parents, who have chosen to remain anonymous, said: “Losing our daughter has shattered our world in ways we can barely put into words. The grief is overwhelming and the ache of her absence is something we will carry forever. Yet even in this unimaginable pain, we’ve found a small measure of solace in knowing that her final act, her choice, was one of pure generosity. Through organ donation, she has given other families the precious gift of time, hope, healing and now life."

“As her parents, we feel tremendous pride at the legacy she leaves behind – a legacy of compassion, courage and love that continues to touch lives even after her passing.

“We urge others to consider donation so that more people in desperate need may be given the chance to live, just as our daughter so selflessly wished.”

Professor Richard Smith, consultant gynaecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and clinical lead of Womb Transplant UK, has researched womb transplantation for more than 25 years and was present at the birth. The couple chose the middle name Richard in his honour. Hugo was also given the name Norman after Bell’s grandfather.

Prof Smith said: “It’s been an unbelievable journey. Our whole team has been hanging together now for years and years to make this happen. So to me, it’s been fantastic, just amazing.” On learning the baby would carry his name, he said: “This brought a tear to my eye.

“As the baby was handed over, the parents said they were actually going to call the baby Hugo Richard.

“I’ve delivered over 1,000 babies in my life. Never has a baby been named after me. That did make me cry, straight up. It’s been quite emotional, very emotional.”

He added that the atmosphere during the birth was “absolutely filled with joy” and described the moment as “fantastic”.

Isabel Quiroga, consultant transplant and endocrine surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals and joint lead of the transplant team, said the birth represented a significant development in UK transplantation. “Very few babies have been born in Europe as a result of their mothers receiving a womb from a deceased donor,” she said.

“Our trial is seeking to discover whether this procedure could become an approved and regular treatment for some of the increasing number of women of child-bearing age who do not have a viable womb.”

Doctors emphasised that pregnancies following womb transplantation are considered high risk and require close monitoring. Recipients must take immunosuppressant medication to prevent rejection, and delivery is carried out by planned caesarean section. After completing their families, patients are advised to have the transplanted womb removed to avoid lifelong use of such medication.