Latest news with #WombTransplantUK
Irish Examiner
08-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Born without a womb: 'It may take time to adjust, but you're still you'
The heartwarming story of the first baby born in Britain as a result of a womb transplant recently made global headlines. Grace Davidson, 36, who has a rare condition, Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser Syndrome (MRKH), was born without a womb. However, medical advances allowed Davidson's sister to donate her womb, and, two years later, she gave birth to a daughter, Amy Isabel. Consultant paediatric and adolescent gynaecologist Nikita Deegan runs a clinic in Dublin's Rotunda Hospital for girls and women diagnosed with MRKH. 'MRKH affects approximately one in every 5,000 female births,' she says. 'It's a condition in which women are born without a womb, cervix, or upper vagina. There are two types. Type one affects just the reproductive organs, while type two often means girls are also born with differences in their spine, heart, kidneys, or hearing.' The Rotunda is the only specialist multi-disciplinary clinic in Ireland for MRKH patients aged 15 and older. A multi-disciplinary service in CHI Temple St sees patients up to the age of 16. No such services were available when 35-year-old Anna*, from Dublin, was diagnosed with MRKH 18 years ago. She remembers her shock when a gynaecologist told her she had no womb and would never be able to carry a child. 'I couldn't take it in,' Anna says. 'I just wanted her to stop talking, so I could get out of there.' When she left the consultation room, there was nowhere to go for support. 'MRKH is a strange diagnosis, because you're not sick and there's nothing you immediately need to do about it,' she says. 'You're in the same body you've always been in, but you have upsetting new information about it. There were no services for people with MRKH in Ireland back then, and I used to wonder if I was the only person in the country with it.' Her path to diagnosis had begun as most do: She hadn't ever had a period. Undated handout photo issued by Womb Transplant UK of Grace and Angus Davidson with baby Amy Isabel, and her aunt Amy. Grace Davidson, who received a womb in the UK's first womb transplant, gave birth to a baby girl. Picture: Joe Daniel/Womb Transplant UK/PA Wire. 'That made me feel different even before my diagnosis,' she says. 'All of my friends had got theirs. Why had mine not come yet?' Her GP referred her to a gynaecologist and a follow-up MRI found that she had no womb. 'I was just distraught when I heard this and couldn't stop crying,' says Anna. 'It felt totally earth-shattering.' Because people with MRKH have normal external genitals and ovaries, they typically experience puberty like everyone else. 'They develop breasts and body hair, but they don't get a menstrual period, and it's only when they haven't had one by their mid-teens that anyone realises there's cause for concern,' Deegan says. 'Anyone who hasn't had a period by age 15 should see their GP. It doesn't mean they have MRKH. There are other possible reasons, such as diet, weight, or exercise. But tests need to be carried out to check.' MRKH patients are informed about the physical implications of the condition. 'They are told they won't have periods, won't be able to become pregnant spontaneously, or carry a pregnancy, and will likely have difficulty with penetrative vaginal sex, due to the underdevelopment of their vagina,' says Deegan. Debbie Browne, the clinical midwife specialist in adolescent gynaecology at the Rotunda, points out that it's still possible for women with MRKH to enjoy sex. 'For most women, sexual pleasure comes from the clitoris more than the vagina and the anatomy of the vulva. Clitoral function and ability to orgasm in individuals with MRKH should be the same,' she says. 'But if they would like to have penetrative vaginal sex, we will explain that they can lengthen their vagina to make that sex more comfortable and pleasurable. We will also guide them through the process of doing that.' This process is called vaginal dilation, and involves women inserting a dilator (a plastic mould) into their vagina every day for months to stretch the vagina's skin gradually. The psychological impact If it's difficult to grapple with the physical implications of MRKH, it can be just as challenging to deal with the psychological impact. 'Adolescence can be tough enough as teenagers explore their identity and sexuality,' says Dr Susan Carroll, a senior clinical psychologist who works with Deegan and Browne in the Rotunda. 'If you suddenly learn you're infertile and your vagina had developed differently, it can be devastating. Adding to that, teenagers like to fit in. It can be hard not to feel part of conversations about periods or to feel your experience is not that of your friends.' Disclosing their diagnosis isn't always easy, either. According to Carroll, this can require overcoming two significant barriers. Firstly, there's the fact that many people are shy or embarrassed about discussing their bodies. They don't have much experience of doing so and can consequently lack the vocabulary required to talk about MRKH. Secondly, they are likely to be worried about how the other person might react, particularly if that person is a romantic partner with whom they hope to be physically intimate. Other problems can emerge later in life. 'There can be a sense of grief and loss, and friends having babies can trigger difficult feelings,' says Carroll. 'And if women with MRKH decide to try to have children, their path might not be straightforward, which can have a psychological impact, too.' Intimacy fears Anna struggled in the years following her diagnosis. 'For a long time, I felt as if the light had gone out in my world,' she says. She found it difficult to form romantic relationships, because she felt uncomfortable in her own body. 'I became withdrawn and felt like I was on the outside looking in,' she says. 'I still did the usual things — going to school and college, spending time with friends, and playing sports — but I didn't enjoy it. And I found it impossible to talk about MRKH. I didn't know who would understand how I was feeling.' She eventually found Facebook groups and attended support days in Britain and the US. They proved to be transformative for her. 'I didn't have to explain myself to these people,' she says. 'They got it — I no longer felt so alone. I've since made great friends within that community and they have helped me become more confident and comfortable in my body. 'I used to feel shame at what it couldn't do, but I'm entirely unashamed now. The light inside me has turned back on.' Aware that the psychological toll of MRKH is compounded by the isolation many sufferers feel, the team at the Rotunda now organise an annual MRKH support day in Ireland. The next one is scheduled to take place on September 26. This is not the only support the team offers to MRKH patients. Their multidisciplinary service includes gynaecology, fertility, genetics, nursing and midwifery, and clinical psychology. Operation 'a risk' The paediatric, adolescent, and complex gynaecology team at the Rotunda celebrated the news of the birth of baby Amy Isabel. 'MRKH takes away people's choices, and it's great when developments like this give them more options,' says Carroll. 'Womb transplants are still experimental in the UK and could well be a viable option for Irish women with MRKH in the future.' However, Deegan thinks that a transplant will always remain a significant medical procedure that involves risks for both the donor (if they are living) and the recipient. 'Both would need to be fit and well and undergo a rigorous assessment to see if they were suitable candidates,' she says. 'Not everyone would be, and not everyone would want to put themselves through such a physical ordeal.' She believes it's unlikely the surgery will ever be available in Ireland, given that the number of people with MRKH here is small, and the number of those who would want to be, or would be, suitable for a womb transplant would be even smaller. 'Complex surgery like this should be performed by a team in a dedicated centre with the expertise and volume to ensure the best possible outcome,' she says. 'For Irish people, that means the procedure being done abroad.' A womb transplant isn't the only way people with MRKH can have a biological child. Because most people with MRKH have functioning ovaries and a normal egg reserve, IVF can help them create embryos. Those embryos can then be transferred to a gestational surrogate to carry the pregnancy. Deegan would like for it to be made easier for people with MRKH to access these alternative routes to parenthood. The team at the Rotunda would like to see changes in how MRKH is understood and treated in Ireland. 'Increased education about the condition would mean that MRKH was more widely recognised by the public and healthcare professionals,' says Carroll. 'People with MRKH would then be directed to support services more quickly. We would like more doctors and patients to know that our services are there for them.' Additional resources and funding would also be helpful. 'We want everyone with MRKH to have access to specialist services and not be put on a waiting list to receive them,' says Deegan. Browne adds that her wish is for those who are diagnosed to realise that MRKH does not define them. 'This diagnosis doesn't change who you are,' she says. 'It may take time to adjust to this new information about your body, but you're still you.' As for Anna, time and therapy have helped her come to terms with MRKH. 'I don't have a partner at the moment, but I am open to meeting someone,' she says. 'I'm not sure about having children, but my life is full of meaning, joy, and laughter. There are moments when it can be hard, but I have people around me who can help, and I'm not afraid to ask when I need it.' * Name has been changed What to know about MRKH It's a congenital condition in which female children are born without a womb, cervix or upper vagina. There are two types of MRKH. Type one affects just the reproductive organs. Type two affects the reproductive organs while type two affects the reproductive organs and other parts of the body, such as the spine, heart, kidneys and the hearing system. No official figures exist regarding the number of girls and women with MRKH in Ireland but internationally, it is estimated that the condition affects one in every 5,000 female births. Girls with MRKH have normal external genitals and ovaries and typically experience puberty like everyone else, developing breasts and body hair, for example. The lack of a womb means these girls will never have a period. They won't be able to get pregnant without assistance, and they will be unable to carry a pregnancy. Women with the condition may also have difficulty with penetrative sex due to the underdevelopment of their vagina. They can still enjoy clitoral stimulation and orgasm. Vaginal dilation can alleviate the discomfort of penetrative vaginal sex. MRKH can take a significant psychological toll on girls and women. They can struggle with feelings of grief and loss or feel they are different or deficient in some way, which can affect their relationships with others, particularly romantically. Women with MRKH can undergo IVF, and a gestational surrogate can carry the resulting embryos. If they are suitable candidates, they can now also consider a womb transplant. Read More Why you should always trust your gut when it comes to coeliac disease
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Miracle' baby girl is born from a womb transplant to mom born without a uterus
A British woman born without a uterus has given birth to a healthy baby girl — making the little bundle of joy the first baby in the UK to be born from a womb transplant. Grace Davidson, 36, was diagnosed as a teenager with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — a rare condition marked by the absence or underdevelopment of the uterus. Determined to experience motherhood, Davidson underwent a womb transplant in 2023, receiving the organ from her older sister, Amy Purdie, who no longer needed it. In February 2023, after undergoing an 18-hour surgery in Oxford, Davidson became the first woman in the UK to achieve a successful womb transplant. She then went through IVF to receive one of the seven embryos she and her husband, Angus, had frozen prior to the transplant. In February 2025, she gave birth to her daughter, Amy Isabel, via Caesarean section at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London. The baby — named Amy after her aunt — was healthy, weighing 4.5 pounds at birth. 'It was just hard to believe she was real,' Davidson told The Times. 'We have been given the greatest gift we could ever have asked for.' 'The moment we saw her was incredible, and both of us just broke down in emotional tears — it's hard to describe, it was elation,' her husband said. 'The room was just so full of love and joy and all these people that had a vested interest in Amy for incredible medical and science reasons.' It was the end of a long fertility journey for the Davidsons — and the crowning achievement for Professor Richard Smith, a consultant gynecological surgeon who founded the charity that funded the initial procedure, Womb Transplant UK. 'I have to say, I walked out of the room in Queen Charlotte's [hospital] with tears streaming down my face. It's quarter of a century — a good proportion of my career,' Smith told The Times. 'I feel great joy, actually, unbelievable — 25 years down the line from starting this research, we finally have a baby, little Amy Isabel.' Amy's middle name honors Isabel Quiroga — the other consultant surgeon for the womb transplant — who said she was 'humbled' by the decision. About 1 in 5,000 women around the world are born without a functioning uterus. Globally, around 50 babies have been born following womb transplants since the first successful procedure in Sweden in 2014. Britain's National Health Service (NHS) said it was delighted by the birth of this 'miracle' baby and expected the medical milestone to offer hope to other women wishing to conceive.
Saudi Gazette
08-04-2025
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
Woman becomes first in UK to give birth after womb transplant
LONDON — In a medical milestone, 36-year-old Grace Davidson has become the first woman in the UK to give birth after receiving a womb transplant — a groundbreaking achievement hailed by surgeons as 'astonishing.' Davidson, who was born without a uterus due to a rare condition known as Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, delivered her daughter, Amy Isabel, via planned caesarean section on February 27 at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London. The transplant was made possible after her sister, Amy Purdie, donated her womb in 2023 during an eight-hour operation. 'It was just hard to believe she was real,' Davidson said, describing the moment she held her daughter for the first time. 'I knew she was ours, but it's just hard to believe.' The couple had previously undergone IVF treatment, creating and freezing embryos ahead of the transplant. Several months after the procedure, one of the embryos was successfully implanted. The baby's name honors both the donor and one of the lead surgeons — Purdie and Isabel Quiroga of the Oxford Transplant Centre — who helped perfect the complex technique. The success of Davidson's pregnancy marks a major leap forward in fertility treatment for women born without a uterus or who lose it due to illness or injury. Three other womb transplants have been performed in the UK using deceased donors, and more are planned. Around 10 women are currently undergoing approval for a womb transplant, while hundreds more have expressed interest in the £25,000 procedure, which is currently funded by the charity Womb Transplant UK. Prof. Richard Smith, the charity's clinical lead who has spearheaded 25 years of research into womb transplantation, said witnessing the birth of Amy Isabel was a deeply emotional moment. 'We finally have a baby — little Amy Isabel. Astonishing, really astonishing.' Davidson took immunosuppressants during her pregnancy to prevent rejection of the donor organ and has expressed a desire to have another child in the future. Globally, more than 100 womb transplants have been performed, resulting in at least 50 births since the first successful case in Sweden in 2014. — Agencies
Express Tribune
08-04-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
UK's first baby born to woman with transplanted womb hailed as miracle
Listen to article In a UK medical first, a woman who received a womb from her sister has given birth to a healthy baby girl. Grace Davidson, 36, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare condition that left her without a functioning uterus. In 2023, she underwent a successful womb transplant, donated by her sister Amy Purdie, in a groundbreaking 17-hour operation at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. Just over a year later, Grace gave birth by caesarean section to a baby girl, named Amy Isabel, on 27 February at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital in London. The name honours both the baby's aunt and organ donor, Amy, and transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga, who led the medical team. 'It was just hard to believe she was real,' Grace said, recalling the first time she held her daughter. 'It was really wonderful.' Photo: FILE Grace and her husband, Angus Davidson, 37, had previously undergone fertility treatment to store embryos before the transplant. Grace became pregnant on her first IVF attempt. The transplant and birth were part of a clinical trial led by Womb Transplant UK. The charity has approval for 15 transplants – five from living donors and ten from deceased donors. All medical staff involved volunteered their time, and the charity covered NHS-related costs. Professor Richard Smith, who leads the trial, said the birth marks the culmination of 25 years of research. 'I feel great joy, unbelievable – it's really something,' he said. Three more womb transplants using deceased donors have taken place in the UK since Grace's operation. Surgeons hope this progress will eventually lead to wider access for women unable to carry children due to absent or non-functioning wombs. Roughly 15,000 women of childbearing age in the UK are estimated to be affected, with around 5,000 born without a womb. Amy Purdie, the donor, said she has no regrets about the surgery. 'It's a huge act of sisterly love,' Grace added, noting how the experience deepened their bond. Grace is currently on immunosuppressants to prevent her body from rejecting the donated uterus. She hopes to have one more child before undergoing a hysterectomy to end the need for the drugs. Surgeons say risks from the medication will return to normal levels once the womb is removed. Globally, more than 135 womb transplants have been performed, leading to at least 65 births. The first successful case occurred in Sweden in 2014. Davidson's birth story is now seen as a beacon of hope for women facing similar reproductive challenges in the UK and beyond.
