News | UK Welcomes First Baby Born After Deceased-Donor Uterus Transplant
The UK has welcomed its first baby born following a deceased-donor uterus transplant. Hugo Powell, a boy weighing 3.09 kilograms (6 pounds 13 ounces), was born at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London. His mother, Grace Bell, previously received a uterus transplant from a deceased donor.
This is the first birth in the UK following a deceased-donor uterus transplant. Only two similar cases had previously been reported in Europe. Worldwide, about 25 to 30 babies have been born following deceased-donor uterus transplantation. More than two-thirds of uterus transplants currently use living donors, with the remaining third using deceased donors.
Bell, an IT project manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition in which the uterus is underdeveloped or absent. She was told as a teenager that she would be unable to carry a pregnancy. She described her son’s birth as a “miracle,” saying: “I never thought this would be possible. I am the happiest I have ever been.”
Bell began fertility treatment several months after the transplant was completed in 2024. Hugo was born in December 2025. She said she thinks every day about the generosity of the uterus donor and the donor’s family: “No amount of thanks can express my gratitude to the donor and her family. Their kindness and selflessness toward a complete stranger allowed me to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a mother.”
The donor’s five other organs were reportedly transplanted into four patients, saving several lives. The donor’s parents said losing their daughter was “heartbreaking beyond words,” but emphasized that through organ donation she had “given other families time, hope, healing, and even new life.” They were immensely proud of her legacy of “compassion, courage, and love.”
Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, gave their child the middle name Richard in honor of Professor Richard Smith. He is clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK and a consultant gynecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Smith was present for the birth. He said: “It has been an incredible journey. Our team has worked toward this for many years, and seeing the dream become reality is extraordinarily moving.”
Under the treatment plan, the transplanted uterus will be removed once the couple completes their family, so Bell does not need to take immunosuppressive medication for life.
The UK’s first uterus transplant took place in 2023, when another patient with MRKH, Grace Davidson, received a uterus from her sister Amy, a living donor. The successful birth following deceased donation marks a new milestone for reproductive medicine in the UK.
Notably, the uterus is not covered by routine organ-donation consent in the UK and is not included in the opt-out system. Uterus donation requires specific authorization from the potential donor’s family.
News | UK Welcomes First Baby Born After Deceased-Donor Uterus Transplant
News | UK Welcomes First Baby Born After Deceased-Donor Uterus Transplant
The UK has welcomed its first baby born following a deceased-donor uterus transplant. Hugo Powell, a boy weighing 3.09 kilograms (6 pounds 13 ounces), was born at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London. His mother, Grace Bell, previously received a uterus transplant from a deceased donor.
This is the first birth in the UK following a deceased-donor uterus transplant. Only two similar cases had previously been reported in Europe. Worldwide, about 25 to 30 babies have been born following deceased-donor uterus transplantation. More than two-thirds of uterus transplants currently use living donors, with the remaining third using deceased donors.
Bell, an IT project manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition in which the uterus is underdeveloped or absent. She was told as a teenager that she would be unable to carry a pregnancy. She described her son’s birth as a “miracle,” saying: “I never thought this would be possible. I am the happiest I have ever been.”
Bell began fertility treatment several months after the transplant was completed in 2024. Hugo was born in December 2025. She said she thinks every day about the generosity of the uterus donor and the donor’s family: “No amount of thanks can express my gratitude to the donor and her family. Their kindness and selflessness toward a complete stranger allowed me to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a mother.”
The donor’s five other organs were reportedly transplanted into four patients, saving several lives. The donor’s parents said losing their daughter was “heartbreaking beyond words,” but emphasized that through organ donation she had “given other families time, hope, healing, and even new life.” They were immensely proud of her legacy of “compassion, courage, and love.”
Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, gave their child the middle name Richard in honor of Professor Richard Smith. He is clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK and a consultant gynecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Smith was present for the birth. He said: “It has been an incredible journey. Our team has worked toward this for many years, and seeing the dream become reality is extraordinarily moving.”
Under the treatment plan, the transplanted uterus will be removed once the couple completes their family, so Bell does not need to take immunosuppressive medication for life.
The UK’s first uterus transplant took place in 2023, when another patient with MRKH, Grace Davidson, received a uterus from her sister Amy, a living donor. The successful birth following deceased donation marks a new milestone for reproductive medicine in the UK.
Notably, the uterus is not covered by routine organ-donation consent in the UK and is not included in the opt-out system. Uterus donation requires specific authorization from the potential donor’s family.
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