UK makes history with first birth after womb transplant

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Born without a uterus due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, Grace received a womb donated by her sister, Amy Purdie, in an 18-hour surgery performed in 2023.

Following the transplant, Grace underwent fertility treatments, leading to the birth of her daughter, Amy Isabel, via Caesarean section in February 2025 at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London. The baby's first name honors Grace's sister, while her middle name pays tribute to surgeon Isabel Quiroga, who co-led the transplant.

This medical milestone offers new hope to women with similar conditions. Approximately 15,000 women in the UK face Absolute Uterine Factor Infertility, either due to congenital absence of the uterus or following hysterectomy. Globally, around 50 babies have been born following womb transplants since the first successful procedure in Sweden in 2014.

Grace and her husband, Angus, hope to have a second child before the transplanted womb is removed, as long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs carries health risks. The couple also aspires for womb transplants to become a viable option for others unable to carry children.