A mother and father from Pennsylvania are thrilled after the safe arrival of their miracle baby.
According to Fox 5, 33-year-old Jennifer Gobrecht was born without a uterus and in 2018, she underwent a 10-hour transplant surgery where she was given a uterus from a deceased donor.
Mom and Dad Welcome Baby Boy After Uterus Transplant
Months later, Jennifer and her husband, Drew Gobrecht, became pregnant with a baby boy. And that baby boy, who they named Benjamin, was born in November via a cesarean section.
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Jennifer said during a press conference months after the birth of their son, “Two years ago, if you had told me I would be sitting here not only a mother but one who got to bear her own child, I simply would have not believed you. But here I am.”
She continued, “This journey has not been easy, but every time I look at Benjamin’s face, I know it was worth it. Benjamin is truly a miracle, and we feel beyond lucky to have him.”
Penn Medicine released a video celebrating Benjamin’s birth to the public. You can watch it in its entirety below:
Jennifer first learned she was born without a uterus when she was just a teenager. According to Fox 5, the new mother was one of 70 transplants performed worldwide. At 17 years old, Jennifer was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.
According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, MRHK is “the failure of the uterus and the vagina to develop properly in women who have normal ovarian function and normal external genitalia.” There are multiple different types of MRHK.
Jennifer said of her initial diagnosis, “That was a very difficult thing to hear as a teenage girl who had dreams of being a loving mother. Like many young girls, I dreamed of how it would feel to grow a baby in my womb, to feel them kick inside me, and those dreams disappeared.”
And after learning about Penn Medicine’s uterine transplant trial, which has only been around for two years, Jennifer’s seemingly impossible dream of carrying a child to term was made possible.
Benjamin is only the second baby to be born to the recipient of a uterus transplant in the United States. And as a result, his birth is being hailed as a miracle.
It’s unclear if Jennifer and Drew plan to try for another child. However, Dr. Kathleen O’Neill, one of the leaders of Penn’s trial, said that Jennifer and all other uterus transplant recipients will need to be monitored for five to 10 years after the transplant surgery.
And due to the possibility of rejection, many recipients opt for hysterectomies following birth.
Congratulations to Jennifer, Drew, and their beautiful and miraculous bundle of joy.
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