UK's First Deceased Donor Womb Birth

Hugo Powell has become the first baby in the United Kingdom to be born to a mother, Grace Bell, who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Grace Bell, diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) at 16, underwent the seven-hour transplant in 2024 at Oxford Transplant Centre, performed by Isabel Quiroga. She later received fertility treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic. Hugo Powell was delivered in December at Queen Charlotte s and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. This event marks a significant medical milestone, with only two other such cases reported in Europe. Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead of Womb Transplant UK, was present at the birth. The donor's family also allowed five other organs to be transplanted, saving four other lives. Womb Transplant UK has facilitated five transplants in the United Kingdom, leading to two births so far. The success offers hope for individuals with MRKH and other conditions causing uterine factor infertility.