Lindsey, the first woman to receive a uterus transplant in the United States, said that the transplant is an answer to all her prayers and that she is extremely grateful to the donor's family.
The transplant took place at the Cleveland Clinic on Feb. 24.
"First and foremost I would like to take a moment to express the immense gratitude I feel towards my donor's family. They have provided me with a gift I will never be able to repay and I am beyond thankful for them," said 26-year-old Lindsey at a news conference at the Cleveland Clinic.
"When I was 16 I was told I would never have children. From that moment on I have prayed that God would allow me the opportunity to experience pregnancy, and here we are today at the beginning of that journey," continued the woman, who was wheeled into the interview by her husband Blake.
The last names of the couple have not been disclosed to protect their privacy.
The couple have three sons, adopted through foster care.
Lindsey went through a nine-hour surgery and is part of a study that "will eventually allow 10 women with uterine factor infertility (UFI) to receive uterus transplants."
"Although there appears to be potential for treating UFI with uterine transplantation, it is still considered highly experimental. Cleveland Clinic has a history of innovation in transplant and reproductive surgery and will explore the feasibility of this approach for women in the United States. Women who are coping with UFI have few existing options. Although adoption and surrogacy provide opportunities for parenthood, both pose logistical challenges and may not be acceptable due to personal, cultural or legal reasons," said Dr. Tommaso Falcone, Ob/Gyn & Women's Health Institute Chair.
The first birth through a uterus transplant took place in Sweden in September 2014 under the guidance of a research team from the University of Gothenberg.
"The exciting work from the investigators in Sweden demonstrated that uterine transplantation can result in the successful delivery of healthy infants," said Cleveland Clinic lead investigator Dr. Andreas Tzakis.
Explaining more about the procedure, Tzakis said that "unlike any other transplants, [uterus transplants] are 'ephemeral.' They are not intended to last for the duration of the recipient's life, but will be maintained for only as long as is necessary to produce one or two children."
Lindsey will be monitored for a year, and only then undergo in vitro fertilization, using frozen embryos. If all goes well, births will happen through caesarean section, and the transplanted uterus will be removed once Lindsey has one or two babies so that she does not have to be on anti-rejection drugs through her lifetime.
