UK Woman Born Without A Womb Welcomes Baby Hugo

UK Woman Born Without a Womb Welcomes Baby Hugo After Groundbreaking Transplant A mother in her 30s who was born without a viable womb has described the birth of her little boy Hugo as “simply a miracle”, after a long and pioneering medical journey that culminated in one of the UK’s most remarkable reproductive breakthroughs. Grace Bell who was born with Mayer Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition where the womb is absent or underdeveloped gave birth to Hugo in December 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital in London, weighing 6 lb 13 oz. The birth marks the first UK baby born after a womb transplant from a deceased donor.
Bell’s pregnancy was made possible after she received a transplanted womb from a deceased donor during a complex surgical procedure in 2024. After the transplant, she underwent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and successfully conceived her son.
Reflecting on her journey, Bell said her son is “simply a miracle” and that she never believed such a moment would be possible. She described herself as the happiest she has ever been in her life to hold Hugo in her arms a dream she held since her teens when she was first told she could not carry a child. Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, paid tribute to the donor and the donor’s family, emphasising their incredible generosity which made Hugo’s birth possible. Five other organs from the donor also went on to save or improve the lives of four different people. The transplant and birth represent a major milestone in reproductive medicine in the UK. Womb transplantation though rare worldwide offers new hope to women who are unable to carry a pregnancy due to congenital conditions like MRKH or other uterine factors.
Experts note that only a handful of babies have been born globally from deceased donor wombs, making Hugo’s arrival both medically significant and deeply personal for the family involved.
Bell was told as a teenager that she would never be able to carry a child, a diagnosis that left her devastated at the time. But after the transplant, followed by months of fertility care, Hugo’s birth became a reality in what she and her partner describe as a joy filled and emotional moment.The couple has expressed hope that wider efforts in womb transplantation may one day give other women in similar circumstances the opportunity to become mothers.