British woman born without a uterus was told at 16 she’d never have kids — until a deceased donor’s gift helped her deliver UK’s first 'miracle baby'
For some, the dream of motherhood never fades. British woman Grace Bell was born without a uterus. When she was diagnosed with the condition Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome at 16, she was told by her doctors that she'd never be able to become a mother biologically. However, a deceased woman helped her give birth to a healthy baby boy, who is now the UK's first "miracle baby." As reported by PEOPLE on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, the family expressed their gratitude to the deceased woman and her family.
Grace Bell's condition prevented her from having a developed uterus. According to the Cleveland Clinic, MRKH syndrome is a birth condition in which a female is born without a fully formed uterus and, in some cases, an underdeveloped or absent vagina. At the age of 16, Bell's doctors told her that she would never be able to carry a child of her own. Little did she know at the time that she would one day become a mother after receiving a womb transplant from a deceased donor. Bell and her partner, Steve Powell, were in complete shock when they received a phone call informing them that she might be able to carry a child through a donor transplant.
The donor, whose name has not been disclosed, had passed away earlier, and her family was grieving the loss of their daughter, as per the press release. However, when they learned that her daughter's womb would be donated to Bell, they found comfort in the decision. "Losing our daughter has shattered our world in ways we can barely put into words," they said. They added, "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." The donor’s parents also urged others to support organ donation so their daughter’s selfless act could help those in desperate need.
Soon after Bell and Steve received the news, the transplant operation was arranged at The Churchill Hospital in Oxford in June 2024. The surgery lasted for 10 hours. Months later, the couple underwent IVF treatment. In December 2025, Bell and Steve welcomed their healthy baby boy, Hugo, at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in west London, where Bell delivered him via cesarean section.
Describing her baby's birth as a "miracle," Bell revealed that seeing him felt like a dream come true. "It was just incredible," the new mom said. She also thanked her donor for her selflessness, noting that without the generosity of a stranger, she would not be living her dream of becoming a mother. "A part of her will live on forever," she added.
In addition to Bell’s procedure, nine other womb transplants from deceased donors have been taking place in the UK, although Hugo became the first baby to be born through this process. The womb transplant research has been studied for over 25 years in the UK, with over 70 healthy babies born worldwide so far. Bell and her partner gave their son the middle name “Richard” in honor of Professor Richard Smith, who co-leads the womb transplant research in the UK.
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