A child was “born again” after an operation to save the mother’s life (4 photos)

In the case of a baby boy from Reading, England, the phrase "born again" is more than just a figure of speech. Rafferty, now 11 weeks old, spent two hours away from his mother Lucy Isaac when she was in her first trimester of pregnancy.





After Lucy was diagnosed with stage 2 ovarian cancer during a routine ultrasound scan at 12 weeks of pregnancy, doctors became concerned. They couldn't wait until the baby was born because the condition could get worse. But laparoscopic surgery was not an option. The procedure required removing the uterus and fetus from the abdomen to access and remove the cancer cells.



Lucy and her husband Adam had a hard time trusting surgeon Houman Soleimani Majd, who had only performed the procedure a few times. Lucy's case was more complex because the tumors had spread to surrounding tissue.

Last October, Lucy, a 32-year-old teacher, underwent surgery that involved 15 doctors, including five nurses and three anesthesiologists.

Her football-sized uterus was removed and wrapped in sterile gauze. The connection to the uterine artery, left fallopian tube, cervix and umbilical cord was maintained to ensure Rafferty's safety.

For about two hours, two doctors kept the baby alive outside the mother's body, monitoring the heartbeat and other vital signs. Then the uterus was returned to ensure Rafferty's safe development for the remainder of the pregnancy.

He was finally born - for the second time - at the end of January, weighing 2.86 kg.





Family and surgeon Hooman Soleimani Majd

After being discharged, Lucy rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with her son to thank the surgeon who saved their lives.

Majd said: "I felt like I had met this child before. It was an unusual and very emotional experience for me."

Rafferty's father, musician Adam, who took part in the BBC's The Voice, also experienced health problems. In November 2022, he received a kidney transplant from a friend.

Adam shared: “After all the trials we’ve been through, the most exciting thing was to finally hold Rafferty in my arms.”