"There are no words to say thank you enough to my donor and her family," Grace Bell said after welcoming baby Hugo in December
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NEED TO KNOW
- A British mother is speaking out after giving birth to her “miracle” baby son, who became the first child in the U.K. to be born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor
- Grace Bell, who was born without a womb, gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Hugo in December 2025
- Bell — who was born with a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — and her partner Steve Powell, from Kent in southwestern England, welcomed Hugo at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in west London
A British mother is speaking out after giving birth to her "miracle" baby son, who became the first child in the U.K. to be born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor.
Grace Bell, who was born without a womb, gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Hugo in December 2025, per a news release shared by the Imperial College Healthcare [U.K. National Health Service] NHS Trust.
Bell — who was born with a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — and her partner Steve Powell, from Kent in southwestern England, welcomed Hugo at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in west London, according to the BBC.
Per the Cleveland Clinic, "MRKH syndrome is a congenital condition that causes a baby to be born with an underdeveloped or missing uterus and/or vagina."
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Bell, who is in her early 30s, never thought she'd get the chance to carry and give birth to her own baby, according to the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust news release. Bell and baby Hugo are both doing very well following the caesarean section birth.
Bell was told at age 16 that she wouldn't be able to carry her own child, per the BBC. She told the outlet that she remembers being "in complete shock" and "really excited" when she received a phone call to say a transplant was possible after a womb was donated.
The transplant operation, which took place at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024, lasted 10 hours, the BBC reported. The couple then received In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment months later, before undergoing an embryo transfer at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London, the outlet noted.
Bell told the outlet of Hugo's birth, "It was simply a miracle," adding, "I remember waking up in the morning and seeing his little face, with his little [pacifier] in, and it felt like I needed to wake up from a dream."
"It was just incredible," she added to the BBC.
Bell's womb transplant from a deceased donor is one of 10 taking place in the U.K. as part of an "approved deceased donor womb transplant research [program]," according to the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust news release.
Three of the transplants have already been carried out, but Hugo marks the first baby to be born in the U.K., the BBC noted.
Bell said, “There are no words to say thank you enough to my donor and her family. Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a [mom]," per the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust news release.
"I hope they know that my child will always know of their incredible gift, and the miracle that brought him into this world. 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. A part of her will live on forever," she added.
Bell continued, “I also want to express my deepest thanks to the clinical teams who have supported me throughout this journey. There are so many people to thank — from the initial transplant, transplant aftercare, embryo transfer, maternity care, and delivery, all the way to now. I am in awe of their teamwork, dedication, and belief in me, especially when I never thought this outcome was possible."
“My hope is that one day this option to motherhood will become much more accessible, so others may have the same chance I have been given," she shared.
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The parents of the donor added, per the release, “Losing our daughter has shattered our world in ways we can barely put into words. The grief is overwhelming, and the ache of her absence is something we will carry forever."
"Yet even in this unimaginable pain, we’ve found a small measure of solace in knowing that her final act, her choice, was one of pure generosity. Through organ donation, she has given other families the precious gift of time, hope, healing and now life," they added.
“As her parents, we feel tremendous pride at the legacy she leaves behind — a legacy of compassion, courage, and love that continues to touch lives even after her passing. We urge others to consider donation, so that more people in desperate need may be given the chance to live, just as our daughter so selflessly wished,” the parents of the donor continued.
Bell and Powell gave Hugo his second name Richard, after Professor Richard Smith, who co-leads the U.K. womb transplant research team, the release stated.
Smith said, “I’m so happy for Grace, Steve and their family. It was just wonderful to be there at the birth and to see baby Hugo coming into the world, after our journey with this family and the many years of research that led us to this moment."
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The birth follows over 25 years of womb transplant research in the U.K., the release stated. It added that "there have been over 100 womb transplants worldwide and more than 70 healthy babies born so far."
In the U.K., such transplants are not considered part of routine organ donation, per the post. "Each donation requires special, extra consent from families of deceased donors after the donation of other organs has already been agreed," it added.
Hugo's birth came just 10 months after Grace Davidson became the first woman in the U.K. to give birth following a live womb transplant, after her sister Amy donated her womb, the release noted.
"Baby Amy Isabel and Grace continue to do well," the post stated.
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