In a groundbreaking achievement, a 24-year-old woman has given birth in London thanks to a remarkable medical feat involving the restoration of her fertility using ovarian tissue preserved from her childhood.
Moaza Al Matrooshi stands as a pioneer, marking a triumphant return to motherhood for thousands of women. Moaza underwent chemotherapy when she was just nine years old, a procedure that required the removal of one of her ovaries due to its potential harm.
To preserve her chances of future motherhood, her right ovary tissue was cryopreserved in the hopes that it could one day be utilized to restore her fertility.
The journey back to motherhood seemed like a distant dream. “It’s a miracle that I have my baby now,” she expressed.
After over a decade in storage, the frozen tissue was meticulously transplanted onto Moaza’s compromised left ovary during a surgical procedure in Denmark.
Fergus Walsh, the medical correspondent for the BBC, engaged in a conversation with Dr. Sara Matthews, Moaza’s reproductive specialist, to discuss the details of the surgery.
Within three months of the tissue implantation, her hormone levels normalized—counteracting a side effect of early menopause caused by ovarian destruction. Doctors observed that her ovary function resembled that of a woman in her 20s.
To enhance the chances of conception, doctors resorted to in vitro fertilization (IVF), generating three embryos. Two of these embryos were subsequently implanted into her uterus early last year.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time for something like this, and it’s been a process over the last two years to arrange it,” Dr. Matthews shared. “But to see a baby at the end of it all is absolutely wonderful.”
The pregnancy progressed without complications, culminating in the healthy delivery of a boy named Rashid through C-section.
Mother and baby share boundless joy and good health. Moaza retains one embryo in storage and safeguards two pieces of tissue in the freezer, ensuring the possibility of repeating the process if needed.
