A baby boy has become the first child in the UK to be born to a mother who received a womb from a dead donor.
Hugo Powell was delivered weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg) in December at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London.
The transplant marks the first birth in the UK using a womb from a deceased donor, with only two previous cases ever reported in Europe.
Last year, surgeons announced the UK’s first baby born from a womb transplant involving a living donor.
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In the latest 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 missing womb.
His father, Steve Powell, works in finance, and the couple, who are both in their 30s, live in southern England.
Ms Bell, who was diagnosed with MRKH when she was 16, said: "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."
Grace Bell and Steven Powell with their baby son Hugo Powell
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Hugo Powell has become the first child in the UK to be born to a mother using a womb from a dead donor
|PA
Describing Hugo’s birth by Caesarean section, she said: "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."
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Grace Bell with her baby son Hugo Powell
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Hugo’s birth follows the UK’s first womb transplant in 2023, which involved Grace Davidson, another MRKH patient, receiving a womb, also called the uterus, from her older sister, Amy, in a living donation.
Transplants from deceased donors only happen when the families of those who have died are asked specifically if they wish to donate the womb.
The womb is not covered by the normal consent for donation, nor by joining the organ donor register, and it is not covered by deemed consent (which presumes people want to donate unless they opt out).
Womb Transplant UK has now performed and paid for five womb transplants in the UK so far, two involving a living donor and three using a deceased donor.
Two babies have been born and three transplant patients have not had a baby yet, but are undergoing private IVF.
Hugo was born weighing 6lb 130z (3.1kg) in December at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital
|PA
They decided to give Hugo the middle name Richard, after Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead of the charity Womb Transplant UK and consultant gynaecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Hugo was also given the name Norman in honour of Ms Bell’s grandfather, so his full name is Hugo Richard Norman Powell.
Professor Smith, who was present at the birth, said: "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."
On holding baby Hugo and hearing he would be given 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.”