First British Baby Born from Deceased Donor Womb Transplant Marks Medical Milestone

A baby boy named Hugo Powell has become the first child born in Britain to a mother who received a womb transplanted from a deceased donor, a breakthrough that offers new hope to women born without a viable uterus.

Hugo arrived by caesarean section just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in west London, weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg). His mother, Grace Bell, who lives with her partner Steve Powell in Kent, described the moment as “simply a miracle.”

Ms. Bell, in her 30s, was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome as a teenager – a condition affecting around 5,000 women in the UK that results in an underdeveloped or absent womb while ovaries remain functional. At 16, she was told she would never carry her own child. The couple initially considered surrogacy before joining the UK womb transplant clinical trial.

The Medical Journey

The transplant surgery, lasting 10 hours, took place at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024. Several months later, Ms. Bell underwent IVF treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London, followed by embryo transfer. Hugo’s birth is one of 10 planned transplants in the UK trial – three using deceased donors and seven from living relatives. This is the first successful birth from a deceased donor in the programme; the first UK living-donor birth was baby Amy in early 2025.

Ms. Bell said she thinks of her donor and the donor’s family every day. “Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a mum,” she said. “A part of her will live on forever.” The donor’s parents, who wish to remain anonymous, expressed pride in their daughter’s legacy. She reportedly donated five other organs that saved four lives.

A Ground-Breaking Achievement

Consultant gynaecologist Prof Richard Smith, founder of Womb Transplant UK and present at Hugo’s birth, called the outcome “ground-breaking.” He noted that the procedure required years of research and a large multidisciplinary team. The couple chose Richard as Hugo’s middle name in tribute.

Consultant transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga, joint trial leader, said very few babies have been born in Europe from deceased-donor womb transplants. The UK trial aims to determine whether the procedure can become a standard, approved treatment for women of childbearing age without a viable womb.

More than 100 womb transplants have been performed worldwide, resulting in over 70 healthy births. In the UK, deceased-donor wombs are not covered by standard organ donation consent; families must give specific permission after agreeing to donate other organs.

The transplanted womb is temporary. If the couple chooses to have another child, surgeons will remove it afterward to spare Ms. Bell lifelong immunosuppression. The birth underscores rapid progress in uterine transplantation and offers renewed hope to women previously told motherhood through pregnancy was impossible.