Henry Bryant may only be a few months old but he’s already made history as the first Australian child to be born from a transplanted uterus.
He made a calm arrival into the world on December 15, via a planned caesarean; less than a year after his mother, 33-year-old Kirsty Bryant and grandmother, 55-year-old Michelle Hayton, underwent marathon dual surgeries in the country’s first womb transplant.
Kirsty, from the New South Wales town of Coffs Harbour, says she is still coming to terms with her miracle baby.
It’s just mind-blowing to think that in one calendar year, I gave my uterus to Kirsty and she had a baby,” Michelle said.
In a remarkable act of love, Michelle volunteered – no questions asked – to donate her womb to her daughter Kirsty, who had been told she’d never carry another baby as a result of a life-saving hysterectomy following the birth of her first child, Violet.
News of a groundbreaking surgical trial at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney delivered hope to Kirsty and thousands of other women who were either born without a uterus or had theirs removed.
Dr Rebecca Deans, Head Gynaecologist at the Royal, explained that while it’s not a life-saving procedure, it is a life-changing experience for anyone desperate to start or expand their family.
“For some women it’s such a drive to carry a pregnancy and they’re prepared to take on that risk,” Dr Deans said.
“The operation is really particular, making sure that you keep all of the blood supply active because you want that blood supply to attach and have a really healthy uterus at the end.”
Kirsty and Michelle turned out to be the perfect candidates for the trial and in January 2023 the mother and daughter, who share a close bond, checked in for the operation which was led by Dr Mats Branstrom, the Swedish specialist who pioneered the surgery overseas, and overseen by Dr Deans.
