A UK woman has become the first to deliver a baby following a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Grace Bell, who was born without a womb, gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Hugo Richard Norman Powell, via cesarean section in December 2025.
This procedure marks a significant advancement in the UK's pioneering womb transplant research program. Bell underwent the transplant as part of the INSITU study, funded by Womb Transplant UK. She is the second woman in the UK to give birth after a womb transplant, and the first from a deceased donor. Experts believe Hugo is the third baby born in Europe through this method.
"Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a mum," Bell stated, expressing gratitude to the donor and her family. The donor's parents shared "tremendous pride at the legacy" their daughter leaves behind through organ donation.
Following the transplant, Bell underwent IVF and was closely monitored throughout her pregnancy. Professor Richard Smith, co-lead of the research team, hailed the birth as "wonderful," acknowledging the years of research and the donor family's critical decision. Miss Isabel Quiroga, also a co-lead, called it "a huge milestone," providing more hope for women seeking to carry and give birth to their own child.