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Modern medicine is absolutely remarkable. One of the most incredible advances has been the ability to transplant an organ from one person to another. Often times, in cases where it's possible, family members donate organs to relatives who need them since they frequently are compatible matches. Many of those instances include a person giving a kidney to their relative, but there are other organs that can be donated, like the uterus, which is just what one mom gave to her daughter.
54-year-old Michelle Bryant donated her uterus to her 30-year-old daughter Kristy in Australia's first uterus transplant, and just weeks later, Kristy got pregnant. The baby will be Kristy's second, one she probably never thought she'd have since after the birth of her first child, Violet, she needed to undergo a life-saving hysterectomy because of a hemorrhage.
However, after a 16 hour surgery, her mom's uterus, the one that carried Kristy three decades ago, was transplanted into her and an embryo was placed in it. Kristy told Australia's 60 Minutes how she felt when she learned she was pregnant, saying, "I was just super excited when I found out. It almost feels like it's meant to be, but it's still sinking in that I am going to have another baby at the end of the year. It's so wonderful that my body can do this and that my mum has given me this gift. Mum is very excited. She can't wait to welcome another grandchild into the family…she is over the moon."
Because her pregnancy is considered high-risk, Kristy will be closely monitored throughout her term. Then, in December, when her baby is due, she'll have a C-section at 37 weeks. The biggest issue Kristy faces in the meantime is that she doesn't have nerves connected to the uterus, so if she goes into labor, she wouldn't be able to feel contractions.
It should be noted that uterus transplants are not meant to last a lifetime. They are temporary measures that allow a woman a chance to carry more children, but that opportunity is only expected to last five years.
As for people who tell Kristy her pregnancy is a miracle, she said she tries to remind them, "No, it's science. Science got me here."