UK’s First Baby Born via Deceased Donor Womb Transplant

​A medical milestone has been reached in the UK as a baby boy, Hugo, becomes the first child in the country born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor.

​Grace Bell, a woman in her 30s from Kent, was born with MRKH syndrome, a rare condition affecting 1 in 5,000 women that results in being born without a viable womb. After a decade of being told she could never carry her own child, Bell underwent a grueling 10-hour transplant operation at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024.

​The “miracle” birth took place just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London. Hugo, weighing nearly 7lbs, represents a breakthrough for the Womb Transplant UK clinical trial, which aims to make this procedure a regulated treatment for women without functioning uteri.

​The Journey to Hugo

​The path to Hugo’s birth was a multi-stage clinical feat:

1.The Transplant: The donor womb was harvested from a deceased woman whose family made the “incredible gift” of donation.

ADVERTISEMENT

2.The Recovery: Bell waited several months post-surgery to ensure the organ was not rejected before undergoing IVF.

​3.The Delivery: Hugo was delivered via C-section by a specialist team led by Professor Richard Smith and surgeon Isabel Quiroga.

​Professor Smith, who has researched womb transplantation for over 25 years, noted that while a baby born from a living donor (baby Amy) arrived in early 2025, Hugo’s birth proves that deceased donation is a viable, successful path for British patients.

​A Lasting Legacy

​The donor, who remains anonymous, saved five other lives through organ donation. Her parents expressed “tremendous pride” that their daughter’s legacy now includes the “gift of life” for Bell and Powell.

​As a precaution, Bell will likely have the womb removed after a potential second pregnancy to avoid the long-term health risks associated with immunosuppressant drugs. For now, the couple is simply enjoying their son, whose middle name, Richard, honors the doctor who made their dream possible.