Jennifer Dingle, a teenage girl, was an avid reader. ‘late bloomer’.
She saw all her friends go through their periods as a teenager and was thrilled to see hers.
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But it never happened and Jennifer’s mum took her to a doctor who, on examination, couldn’t find her cervix.
Luckily she did have ovaries and further tests confirmed that Jennifer had no uterus and she was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH).
It’s a disorder that means because she was born without a uterus, she would be unable to carry a baby.
She was 33 years old when she received the diagnosis. However, she said that although it was devastating, she still believed she would get pregnant and have her child.
Incredibly, Jennifer’s wish has come true thanks to modern medicine – and she now has two healthy little girls Jiavannah and Jade with her husband Jason, 34, after undergoing a pioneering uterus transplant in December 2016.
She is believed to be the first woman to have 2 miracle babies in American history.
Jennifer said: “I was told I’d never be able to carry my own child, and if I wanted to have my own biological children with a surrogate.
“It was hard. Every little girl has that dream of getting married and having kids.”
Jennifer met Jason in 2011, and they were married in 2014.
She started thinking about their options to have a family but because of Jason’s job in the military they had to hold off.
Jennifer was stationed in Italy in 2016, two years later, when her mother called. This would change their lives forever.
She said: “Jason has always been incredibly supportive of my condition, I told him from the very start.
“He told me not to worry and that we would become parents no matter what.
“A few months after getting married, I went to see my gynaecologist for a check-up and asked her about options to start a family.
“She had told me she had heard about a uterus transplant happening overseas, but not to get my hopes up as she thought it would be too risky.
“Two years later, we were stationed in Naples, Italy, when I got an excited phone call from my mum.
“She had heard that Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas, Texas, was looking for participants for a medical trial for 10 women to have a uterus transplant.
“I flew home right away to apply and get the progress started.”
Two months after applying in July 2016, Jennifer was told she was being accepted to take part in the trial – and she swiftly moved back home to Texas in September to start the process.
They are our miracle babies. We couldn’t be more happy
Jennifer Dingle
After five embryos were created, she underwent an IVF cycle. In November, the clinic found a living donor willing to donate her womb.
The transplant went through after nine hours of surgery in December 2016. Jennifer was able to have her first period at the age of 27 in January 2017.
She said: “I was the second successful uterus transplant recipient in the United States.
“I was so happy to get my first period, but after a few months I realised 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.”
Six months post-surgery, Jennifer underwent a successful embryo transfer and the couple’s beautiful little girl Jiavannah, now almost four, was born through a planned caesarean at 36 weeks in February 2018, weighing 6lbs 7oz.
Then in August, 2018, doctors asked Jennifer if she wanted to do something that no one else in the USA had ever done after a uterus transplant – try for a second child.
With four embryos left, the couple decided to give it a shot but felt defeated after the first transfer didn’t work – while the second and third transfers ended in miscarriage.
Jennifer and Jason had only one embryo left so they knew that it was their last chance to have another child.
Amazingly, it worked, and the mum made history after getting pregnant a second time in July 2019 – with adorable little Jade, now almost two, being born through C-Section at 38 weeks in February 2020, weighing 7lbs 7oz.
She said: “I never thought I’d ever hear the words ‘you’re pregnant’.
“Even after the doctor confirmed it with blood tests, I went home and did several tests just to experience it myself, it was so surreal.
Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome
Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a congenital (born with) abnormality, characterised by the absence or underdevelopment of the vagina, cervix and the womb, which affects one in every 5,000 women.
The majority of people with this condition discover it in puberty. They develop breasts and pubic hair but do not have periods.
Because the ovaries produce female hormones that allow normal development to occur, but there is no vaginal or uterine bleeding due to the absence of these hormones.
The majority of women suffering from MRKH can have a vagina created by a surgeon stretching the existing vaginal tissue.
This is done using specially designed, smooth cylinder-shaped vaginal dilaators.
After this, women with MRKH can have sex.
This condition is usually fatal for women who are unable to conceive. However, assisted reproduction may be possible.
Individuals with MRKH may also be affected by abnormalities elsewhere in the body.
Unilateral renal agenesis is a condition in which one or more kidneys are not properly positioned or formed.
Many people affected develop skeletal abnormalities, especially in the spine (vertebrae).
Females with MRKH syndrome could also suffer from hearing loss or heart defect.
Visit the for more informationSupport group for MRKH
“I’m the first woman in the United States to have two babies following a uterus transplant. That is quite the conversation starter.2
Jennifer said that she’s ‘so grateful’Thank you to the woman who donated her umbilicus.
“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.”
Sweden was the first country to successfully perform a uterus transfer. Only 50 other countries have performed similar procedures.
It’s still thought of as a late resort and is a temporary measure and after one or two successful pregnancies, the patient undergoes a hysterectomy.
This is to avoid infection and so that Jennifer doesn’t have to be on medication for the rest of her life.
Jennifer added: “If we wanted to have another child, we could use a surrogate as I’m still producing eggs.
“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.”
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