Baby Boy Born to Mom Following Womb Transplant

Hugo is the first baby in the UK born to a mom who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor.

He arrived at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London, weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces, after his mother underwent a transplant using a womb donated by someone who had passed away.

It’s the first time in the UK that a birth resulted from such a procedure; only two similar cases have been reported in Europe previously.

Hugo’s mom, Grace Bell, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, a rare condition that means the womb is missing or underdeveloped.

When she was a teenager, doctors told her she would not be able to carry a pregnancy. Because of that, she calls Hugo’s arrival a “miracle.”

She said she never believed this day would come and described holding her son as the happiest moment of her life.

A few months after undergoing the transplant in 2024, Bell started fertility treatments.

Hugo was born in December 2025.

Bell has said she thinks about her donor every single day and is deeply thankful to the donor’s family.

She shared that there are no words strong enough to express her gratitude.

Because of their generosity and compassion, she has been able to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a mom.

The same donor donated five other organs, saving the lives of several others.

The donor’s parents said the loss of their daughter completely shattered their world; however, they take comfort in knowing that through organ donation, she gave other families more time, hope, and a second chance at life.

They are incredibly proud of the legacy she leaves behind.

Bell and her partner, Steve, chose the name Richard for their son in honour of Professor Richard Smith, a consultant gynecological surgeon and the clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK.

Smith was there when the baby was born; he called the whole experience an “unbelievable journey.”

He said he and his team have put in years of work to reach this point.

To prevent Bell from having to stay on immunosuppressant medication for life, doctors plan to remove the transplanted womb once the couple decide their family is complete.

The UK’s first womb transplant happened in 2023 and involved Grace Davidson, who also has MRKH; it was a living donation from her older sister, Amy.

Worldwide, around 25 to 30 babies have been born following womb transplants from deceased donors.

dataMost womb transplants, over two-thirds, come from living donors, while about a third use donors who have died.