A baby boy has become the first child in the UK born after his mother received a womb transplant from a deceased donor.
Grace Bell, who is in her 30s and was born without a functioning womb due to MRKH syndrome, described her 10-week-old son Hugo to BBC as “simply a miracle.”
Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, paid tribute to the kindness and selflessness of the donor and her family for their incredible gift, while expressing gratitude to the medical teams in Oxford and London.
Hugo was delivered just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, weighing nearly 3.1kg.
Bell was born without a womb and told at 16 she would never carry her own child.
When she received the call confirming a donor, she felt “in complete shock” but “really excited.”
Speaking to The Guardian, she remained profoundly aware of the donor’s generosity.
“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,” Bell said. “A part of her will live on forever.”
Bell underwent a 10-hour transplant at The Churchill Hospital in June 2024, followed by IVF and embryo transfer at The Lister Fertility Clinic.
Reflecting on Hugo’s arrival, she said, “It was simply a miracle. I remember waking up in the morning and seeing his little face, with his little dummy in, and it felt like I needed to wake up from a dream. It was just incredible.”
This success is part of a UK clinical trial of 10 procedures; while baby Amy was born earlier in 2025 from a living donor transplant, Hugo is the first born from a deceased donor.
Gynaecologist Professor Richard Smith, who began researching this 25 years ago, was present at the birth.
In appreciation, the couple gave Hugo the middle name Richard. Smith noted the achievement was the result of “a huge team of people” and offers hope to women told they do not have a womb.
Transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga described the birth as a breakthrough moment, noting the trial seeks to discover if the procedure can become an approved treatment.
The donor’s anonymous parents expressed “tremendous pride” in their daughter’s legacy. In addition to her womb, she donated five organs to four other recipients.
“Through organ donation, she has given other families the precious gift of time, hope, healing and now life,” her family said.
Globally, over 100 womb transplants have resulted in more than 70 healthy births.
The surgical team described Hugo’s birth as a ground-breaking moment that could bring hope to many more women facing similar diagnoses.