Meet Hugo, the first baby born in the UK after womb transplant from dead donor

Hugo Powell was delivered weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg) in December at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

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.

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, told the Press Association: “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.”

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.”