It's a Girl!

I always wanted to have kids. But by the time I was 17, I found out I was born without a uterus, due to a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. When I naively asked if there was such a thing as a uterus transplant, I was told, “Oh, no. That won’t happen in your lifetime.” 

I was devastated. I just shut down for a long time. But then I realized I did have the options of adoption and surrogacy, which I pursued, though without success. 

Years later, I learned that Cleveland Clinic’s multidisciplinary uterine transplant team was seeking applicants for a clinical research trial. Following months of testing and consultations, I was accepted into the trial. 

The donor’s family made such a selfless decision. My husband, John, and I will be forever thankful to them. And we were so fortunate that I became pregnant after the first embryo was thawed and transferred into my transplanted uterus. 

Eight months later, Grace was born. She is just what I’ve wanted my whole life. And it was great to have Cleveland Clinic staff with me through the entire experience. They were so helpful, kind and compassionate. I hope my story makes a difference for other young women who find themselves in situations like mine. 

Amanda Gruendell was the eighth woman without a uterus to undergo a uterine transplant at Cleveland Clinic, which pioneered the procedure in the United States in 2016. Before Amanda’s mother died, she dreamed her daughter would have a baby girl named Grace.