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First Ovary Transplant Mom Gives Birth

New mother hopes 'little miracle' will give hope to women worldwide

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 15, 2008 9:30 AM CST

(Newser) – The first woman ever to become pregnant after an ovary transplant has given birth to a healthy baby girl, the Daily Mail reports. The formerly infertile London woman described the newborn as her "little miracle," made possible by groundbreaking surgery and an ovary donation from her twin sister. The new mother says she hopes the birth will give hope to infertile women worldwide.

Nine previous ovary transplants from identical twins failed to produce a pregnancy. The woman's surgeon, in St. Louis, Mo., sees the transplant procedure as offering hope for women who might have an ovary removed and frozen before undergoing chemotherapy or radiation to treat cancer. He is also doing transplants on several pairs of non-identical twins. The 39-year-old mom has named her daughter Maja, after the Roman goddess of fertility.

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Portland Hospital in London. History was made at the hosptital this week when a recipient of a whole ovary transplant gave birth to a baby girl. (Getty Images)

A 39-year-old has become the first woman ever to give birth after a whole ovary transplant. (Shutterstock)

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I'm happy to be sharing my story with the world to give other women hope who might have similar problems. - Susanne Butscher, the first woman ever to give birth after a whole ovary transplant

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First Ovary Transplant Mom Gives Birth