First UK Baby Born from Deceased Womb Transplant

The first UK baby born from a deceased womb transplant, named Hugo Richard, was delivered on Christmas Day, 2025, at Queen Charlotte's Chelsea Hospital in West London, weighing nearly 7 pounds. His mother, Grace Bell, 30, was born without a functional womb due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a condition affecting approximately 5,000 women in the UK.

Although she had normal ovaries, she did not menstruate and learned at 16 that she could not carry her own child. Bell described the birth as an extraordinary moment, recalling waking up to see her baby's face.

She underwent a 10-hour transplant procedure at Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024. A month later, she received in vitro fertilization treatment at the Lister Fertility Clinic in London, leading to a successful embryo transfer and subsequent pregnancy.

The birth was celebrated by Prof. Richard Smith, the clinic lead, who acknowledged the journey of the medical team and the legacy of the donor's family.