The baby was born just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in west London.
A tiny baby named Hugo is making medical history in the UK. The 10-week-old boy is the first child in the country to be born using a womb transplanted from a deceased donor. His birth marks a major milestone in a national clinical research trial focused on womb transplantation.
Hugo was born just before Christmas 2025 at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in west London. At the time of the birth, the baby weighed nearly 7lbs. His mother, Grace Bell, who is in her 30s, was born without a viable womb. For her, this journey once felt impossible. Describing the experience, Grace said, “It was simply a miracle,” as quoted by the BBC.
Her womb transplant surgery took place in June 2024 at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford. The complex procedure lasted 10 hours. After recovering from the transplant, Grace and her partner underwent IVF treatment. Embryo transfer was later carried out at The Lister Fertility Clinic in London. These carefully scheduled steps, including a transplant, IVF and embryo transfer, ultimately led to Hugo’s birth.
When she first got the call that a womb had become available, Grace said she was “in complete shock” and “really excited.” She has been open about how emotional the experience has been. Speaking about the first moments after Hugo’s birth, she said, “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.”
For her, “It was just incredible.”
UK Mom Pays Tribute To Donor
Grace and her partner, Steve Powell (also referred to as Steven Powell), have paid tribute to the donor and her family. They described the donation as an “incredible gift” and thanked them for their “kindness and selflessness.” Grace said she thinks about the donor and her family every day and prays they find peace in knowing their daughter gave the biggest gift of life.
The surgical team involved called the birth “a ground-breaking moment,” saying the milestone will offer hope to many more women with similar diagnoses.
