LONDON, United Kingdom — A baby boy has become the first child in the UK to be born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor, marking a major milestone in reproductive medicine.
Grace Bell, in her 30s, who was born without a viable womb, described the birth of her son Hugo as “simply a miracle.” Hugo, now 10 weeks old, was born just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, weighing nearly 7lbs.
Bell is among around 5,000 women in the UK affected by MRKH syndrome — a condition in which a woman is born without a womb but has normal ovaries. She was told at 16 that she would never be able to carry her own child.
Her womb transplant surgery took place in June 2024 at The Churchill Hospital. The 10-hour procedure was followed by IVF treatment and embryo transfer at The Lister Fertility Clinic.
When Hugo was born, Bell said: “It was simply a miracle. I remember waking up and seeing his little face… it felt like I needed to wake up from a dream.”
She paid tribute to the anonymous donor and her family. “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.
The birth is part of a UK clinical research trial involving 10 womb transplants from deceased donors. Three such transplants have already been carried out, but Hugo is the first baby born through this route.
Earlier in 2025, another baby — Amy — became the first in the UK to be born following a womb transplant from a living donor. In that case, the mother received her sister’s womb.
Consultant gynaecologist Prof Richard Smith of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, who has researched womb transplantation for more than 25 years, called the birth a ground-breaking moment. He said a large multidisciplinary team was involved in the transplant, fertility treatment, and delivery.
Transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga described Hugo’s birth as a breakthrough for organ transplantation in the UK, noting that very few babies in Europe have been born following deceased donor womb transplants.
Globally, more than 100 womb transplants have been performed, and over 70 healthy babies have been born as a result. Babies born following such procedures have no genetic link to the donor.
Under UK law, organ donation operates on an opt-out system, meaning individuals are presumed donors unless they register otherwise. However, womb donation requires specific consent from families, even where general organ donation has been agreed.
The donor’s parents, who remain anonymous, said they felt “tremendous pride” in their daughter’s legacy. She donated five other organs that were transplanted into four recipients.
“Through organ donation, she has given other families the precious gift of time, hope, healing and now life,” the family said.
