A baby boy has become the first child in Britain to be born to a mother with a womb transplanted from a deceased donor.
Hugo Powell was delivered by caesarean section in December, weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg), at the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, in London.
Only two other such cases have been reported elsewhere in Europe, while a baby was born from a womb transplanted from a living donor for the first time in the UK last year.
Hugo’s mother, Grace Bell, an IT programme manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), a rare condition characterised by an underdeveloped or missing womb.
“It’s simply a miracle. I never, ever thought that this would be possible,” Ms Bell said. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
Hugo’s father, Steve Powell, works in finance, and the couple, aged in their 30s, live in southern England.
Ms Bell said she remembered holding Mr Powell’s hand during the birth, and trying to peep over the curtain before Hugo was placed in her arms.
“It just felt quite unreal at the time, because this has been a long journey for us both,” she said.
Reflecting on the birth, Mr Powell said: “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.”
‘The biggest gift’
Ms Bell, who broke down in tears when she recalled discovering she was pregnant, said she thinks of her womb donor every day and hopes her family “find some peace in knowing their daughter gave me the biggest gift, the gift of life”.
“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.”
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Five other organs from the donor were transplanted into four people, saving the lives of others.
The donor’s parents said: “Losing our daughter has shattered our world in ways we can barely put into words.
“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.”
After being told as a teenager that she had no womb, Ms Bell said she remembers “going into the hospital toilets and uncontrollably crying”.
She told Mr Powell about her diagnosis “straight away” when they met. The couple had decided to pursue surrogacy before they became involved in the womb transplant programme.
– How do people become womb donors?
Potential living donors must first undergo extensive counselling to ensure there is no coercion and that they understand the risks.
For deceased donors, the womb is not covered by the normal consent for organ donation. Instead, their families may be approached by the womb transplant research programme to see if they are interested in agreeing to take part.
– Is there a shortage of donor wombs?
Womb Transplant UK is running two programmes, one involving living donors and another with organs from women who have died.
The living donor programme in the UK has so far focused on women with relatives who are willing to consent to a donation.
But the team believes that in the future, the programme could expand to include friends or altruistic donors.
Transplants from deceased donors only occur when the families of those who have died are asked specifically if they wish to donate a womb.
– Did the NHS pay for the womb transplant?
No. Each womb transplant costs about £30,000 and is fully funded by the charity Womb Transplant UK, including payment to the NHS for theatre time and the patient’s stay in a ward.
The operations are only carried out at times when the NHS is not using an operating theatre, so they do not impact NHS waiting lists.
Surgeons and medical staff involved in the transplant have not been paid for their time.
Once a patient becomes pregnant through self-funded IVF, the NHS takes over their care, as with any other pregnancy.
– Will there be more transplants in the UK?
Yes. So far, surgeons have carried out five womb transplants in the UK – two involving a living donor and three using a deceased donor.
Two babies have been born – one using a womb from a live donor and the other, as reported here, from a deceased donor.
Experts believe a maximum of 20 to 30 womb transplants a year could be carried out in the UK in the future.
Hugo’s name honours charity chief
The couple decided to give Hugo the middle name Richard, after Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead of the charity Womb Transplant UK.
Hugo was also given the middle name Norman, after Ms Bell’s grandfather.
Professor Smith, who was present at the birth, said holding baby Hugo and hearing he would be given his name “brought a tear to my eye”.
“That did make me cry, straight up. It’s been quite emotional, very emotional,” he said.
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Ms Bell underwent the seven-hour womb transplant in 2024, before beginning fertility treatment several months later.
The couple may decide to have a second baby, after which surgeons will remove the transplanted womb.
If the transplanted organ is not removed, Ms Bell would have to stay on immunosuppressant drugs.
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With deceased donors, the womb is not covered by the normal consent for organ donation, nor by joining the organ donor register. Their families must instead give specific permission – after they have agreed to donate other organs.
It is estimated that about 25 to 30 babies have been born from deceased womb donations globally.
