In an act of selfless love, this mum gave her daughter her womb
At 16, Moa Ottoson failed to start her menstruation and went to the gynaecologist for checks. It was then that young Moa and her family received devastating news – she does not have a uterus and making it more bizarre, the doctor has little idea how this happened.
Moa was later on diagnosed with the rare condition Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser syndrome (MRKH) which occurs 1 in every 5000 women. Without the organ, she is unable to conceive her own child. The result of the syndrome not only affected her physically but also her emotional wellbeing. She remembers how friends used to taunt her with hurtful words.
“Messed up genes”
She said, ‘Some of my classmates at school used to say it’s a good thing that I can’t have children because my genes are messed up and there had to be a point in me being unable to conceive. I find that ridiculous and hurtful.’
Womb transplant
However, Moa, now 25-year-old, has found a way to potentially carry her own baby in the future. She will be the second person to go through a womb transplant. The organ she will be receiving is from her own mother, Eva Ottoson, 56. Moa found out about womb transplant from her fiancé, 25-year-old Erik Wikner. Erik saw news about it on television and immediately told Moa who contacted the research team. The researchers, who are based in Gothenburg University in Sweden, replied with the good news that she is a perfect candidate, barely 20 minutes after her email. After Moa and Erik met the team, she called Eva with the unusual request. And after listening to Moa’s explanations about the whole surgery, Eva agreed.
Dr Mats Brannstrom heads the team of scientists and surgeons who will carry out the operation. His team has been researching the procedure since 1999 and believes they are now in a position to perform a successful womb transplant. The whole procedure is still experimental with the first operation in Saudi Arabia by a separate team, failing within 99 days of transplant. Dr Branstrom says that the biggest risk is of blood loss and the womb being rejected by Moa’s body.
Dangers of the procedure
Both Moa and Eva are informed of the dangers involved and the way the procedure will be carried out. It is impossible for the doctors to do a keyhole surgery or a bikini-line scar, as ‘he needs to dig in as much as he can to get as many blood vessels as possible’. As the surgery is still in its experimental stage, it is also unknown how long it will take. The Swedish team of experts is estimating an operation time of about five hours or more. Commenting on all the risks involve, Moa said: ‘I feel more safe doing this procedure with the world’s best transplant surgical team than if I ended up in A&E on a Saturday night needing surgery, not knowing who is holding the knife.’
Eva also commented: ‘If I didn’t genuinely believe this would work then I wouldn’t do it.’
Womb transplant has received its fair share of detractors with some claiming that it is against Mother Nature and the order of things. However, Moa does not find it strange that she will using the same organ she was conceived in to carry her own child. She said, ‘If you actually could do it and if you had a womb that was acceptable then I think every mum would do the same in my position.’
She continued to say, ‘My biggest hope is that other girls will look at my story and realise they’re not freaks, they’re just regular girls with one organ missing. It’s not such a big deal.’
Mixed reactions
The Sun UK who ran this story on Moa and the transplant, saw varied responses. A reader commented that if the operation was a success, it would mean Moa’s children are essentially her siblings. Meanwhile, a compassionate reader wished Moa all the best in her attempt to start a family.
In Singapore, it is unknown how many cases of MRKH there are. However, the lack of conclusive data does not mean it does not occur in women here. If you know anyone who suffers from MRKH, do drop us an email. In the meantime, share with us your thoughts. How far would you go to conceive and begin a family?