A woman who was born without a womb has made history as the first in the United States to give birth to two children after having a uterus transplant. She says the family could not believe the miraculous turn of events.
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The Diagnosis
When Jennifer Dinge was 14 years old, she was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH). This means she had no uterus and could therefore not get pregnant. She first learnt about the condition when she went to see the doctor when the start of her period delayed.
I had an examination, and they couldn’t see a cervix, so I was sent to a specialist. They confirmed I didn’t have a cervix, but that I did have ovaries. After further tests, they discovered I had no uterus and was diagnosed with MRKH.
Jennifer, 33, was broken-hearted to hear she may never have biological children. She went on to get married and kept faith that her situation could change.
That opportunity came in 2016, when her mother told her of a clinical trial for uterus transplant that was looking for participants.
Jennifer, who was in Italy at the time, flew back to the states to take part in the trials. After the successful transplant, she got her first period at age 27.
I was so happy to get my first period, but after a few months I realized that I wasn’t missing out on anything. At 27 years old, I’m googling about menstrual cycles. It’s so funny to think about.
Making History
Six months after the surgery, Jennifer underwent a successful embryo transfer and her first child was born through a planned caesarean at 36 weeks.
She had four embryos left, out of which two were unsuccessful; she suffered miscarriages. The last one miraculously stuck, and she made history by becoming the first woman to give birth to more than one child with a transplanted uterus.
I’m so grateful to the woman who donated her uterus. She went through so much so that I could start a family and words can’t even describe how thankful I am. I did find her on Facebook, but we haven’t met up yet. Maybe one day we will.
After her second child was born, Jennifer underwent an operation to have the uterus removed, as it was just temporary. However, she is still producing eggs. Jennifer added:
One day when the girls are older, I’ll have to tell them the story about how they came into the world. They’re our special little miracle babies. We couldn’t be happier.
