Grace Bell and Steven Powell with their baby son Hugo Powell(Image: PA)
A baby boy has made history as the first child in the UK to be born to a mother who received a womb from a dead organ donor.
Hugo Powell was delivered weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg) in December at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
This transplant signifies the first birth in the UK using a womb from a deceased donor, with only two previous instances ever recorded in Europe.
Last year, surgeons heralded the UK’s first baby born from a womb transplant involving a living donor.
In this recent case, Hugo’s mother, Grace Bell, an IT programme manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), a rare condition resulting in an underdeveloped or absent womb.
His father, Steve Powell, is employed in finance, and the couple, both in their 30s, live in southern England.
Ms Bell, diagnosed with MRKH at the age of 16, told PA: “It’s simply a miracle. I never, ever thought that this would be possible.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”
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Describing Hugo’s C section birth, she added: “I remember there was lots and lots of people in the room running around.
“I was holding Steve’s hand at the time…
“I remember trying to peek over the drapes, and Hugo finally got put in my arms, and this being the moment that everyone has been working so hard to achieve.
“Since I was 16, I never thought this was going to be possible. So it really is a miracle.
“It just felt quite unreal at the time because this has been a long journey for us both.”
“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.”
The new dad added: “When he came over the curtain, it was just sort of overwhelming emotions. I felt like I wanted to cry but couldn’t.
“From where we started – first meeting – to where we are today, with Hugo, is nothing short of a miracle after everything we’ve been through.”
Ms Bell expressed that her womb donor and the generosity of the donor’s family remain in her thoughts constantly.
“There are no words to say thank you enough to my donor and her family,” she said.
“Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a mum.
“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.”
Breaking down in tears, Ms Bell revealed the couple were “in disbelief” upon discovering her pregnancy, stating: “I felt the luckiest girl in the world.”
She continued: “This isn’t a life-saving donation but it is a life-giving one.
“From the moment of my diagnosis, every birthday when I blew out my candles, I would wish for this – to be able to experience pregnancy.
“I want the donor’s family to know how much of a gift they have given to me.
“They have fulfilled all of my dreams, everything has come true.”
Five other organs from the donor were transplanted into four individuals, saving additional lives.
Her parents expressed: “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.
“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.”
Reflecting on her feelings upon learning as a teenager that she lacked a womb, Ms Bell said she would remembers “going into the hospital toilets and uncontrollably crying”.
Upon meeting Mr Powell, she told him her diagnosis “straight away”, she stated.
The couple had opted for a surrogacy pathway to start a family but subsequently joined the womb transplant programme.
They chose to give Hugo the middle name Richard, honouring Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead of the charity Womb Transplant UK and consultant gynaecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Hugo also received the name Norman as a tribute to Ms Bell’s grandfather, making his complete name Hugo Richard Norman Powell.
Prof Smith, who attended the birth, told PA: “It’s been an unbelievable journey.
“Our whole team has been hanging together now for years and years to make this happen.
“So to me, it’s been fantastic, just amazing.”
Regarding holding baby Hugo and learning he would carry his name, Prof Smith said: “This brought a tear to my eye.
“As the baby was handed over, the parents said they were actually going to call the baby Hugo Richard.
“I’ve delivered over 1,000 babies in my life. Never has a baby been named after me.
“That did make me cry, straight up. It’s been quite emotional, very emotional.”
Prof Smith described the atmosphere in the room as “absolutely filled with joy”.
He said: “There was massive joy when the baby was born, this new life in the world. It was fantastic.”
Approximately 25 to 30 babies have been born globally from deceased womb donation. More than two thirds of womb transplants typically involve living donors, whilst a third come from deceased donors.
Isabel Quiroga, consultant surgeon and clinical lead for organ retrieval at the Oxford Transplant Centre, part of Oxford University Hospitals, performed the seven-hour womb transplant on Ms Bell there in 2024.
Several months afterwards, Ms Bell underwent fertility treatment at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London.
Miss Quiroga said: “It has been a long journey, and certainly we are delighted, especially for our patient, who’s been in our programme for a good number of years.
“Her dream has been to be a mother, so we are totally elated.”
Miss Quiroga said the donor family’s decision to donate their daughter’s organs “saved multiple lives”.
She added: “In deciding to also then donate her womb, they have also helped to create a new life. This is extraordinary and we now have a healthy baby boy.”
Ms Bell and Mr Powell may choose to have a second child, after which surgeons will remove the transplanted womb.
If it remained in place, Ms Bell would face a lifetime of immunosuppressant medication, which carries risks.
Womb Transplant UK has now carried out and funded five womb transplants in the UK so far – two involving a living donor and three using a deceased donor. Two infants have been delivered and three transplant recipients haven’t yet had a child, but are pursuing private IVF.
“They have functioning transplants,” Miss Quiroga said. “So far, we haven’t had any technical failures – and they are at different stages with IVF and embryo transfer.”
Hugo’s arrival comes after the UK’s first womb transplant in 2023, which saw Grace Davidson, another MRKH patient, receive a womb – also known as the uterus – from her elder sister, Amy, through a living donation.
Transplants from deceased donors only occur when the relatives of those who have passed away are specifically asked whether they wish to donate the womb.
The womb isn’t included in the standard consent for donation, nor through registering on the organ donor register, and it’s not covered by deemed consent (which assumes people want to donate unless they opt out).
Becky Clarke, regional head of nursing for the Midlands and South Central Organ Donation Teams at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Our specialist nurses for organ donation are highly trained, experienced nurses who will speak to families at the time their loved one has sadly died, and approach them around organ donation.
“They will check whether the person’s on the Organ Donor Register, and then speak with the family and see whether it’s something they’re in agreement with.
“Once we’ve ascertained that, then we would seek further consent from the families and approach them if they want to consider, as an extra consent, to womb donation.
“Our experience of approaching the small number of families is the vast majority have immediately wanted to agree.
“They think it’s a wonderful thing to do.
“We are very grateful to any families who choose to give the additional consent for donation to this programme.”
