The gift of life: Chinese mother donates her uterus to daughter who was born without the vital organ and is desperate for a baby in China's first successful womb transplant 

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A young woman from Xi'an, central China, has spent her whole life wanting what she couldn't have, a child. 

Known by the name of Yang Hua, she was born with no uterus and no vagina. At 22-years-old, she believed she would never be able to bring a life into this world, reports The People's Daily Online.

Now, thanks to the help of her 43-year-old mother, her dream could come true. On November 25 Yang received her mother's donated womb without any complications in China's first successful womb transplant.

22-year-old woman, known by the name of Yang Hua (pictured sitting), becomes China's first successful womb recipient yesterday

Yang Hua's husband (left) thanks Yang's mother (right) who donated her womb to her daughter in Xi'an

In April, Yang had vaginoplasty, a reconstructive plastic surgery for the vaginal canal and vulvo-vaginal structures that were absent on her body.

Her surgery went so well, doctors said she was able to move freely on her own the next day. After this, Yang was beginning to feel more like a woman whilst she prepared for her transplant.

Yang has functioning ovaries and her own eggs, but lacked the vital organs needed to produce a child.

Before her transplant, doctors removed these eggs, fertilised them to make embryos, then froze them until they were needed.

Now she has successfully received her mother's womb, once fully recovered, a frozen embryo will be implanted, and if all goes well, she will become pregnant.

If this happens and the baby survives full term, it would then be delivered by Caesarean section, and the uterus will be removed after one or two children. 

Yang had never menstruated in her life. In 2013 doctors at Xijing Hospital discovered Yang was born with no vagina and no uterus during a checkup.

Doctors at the Xijing hospital in Xi'an used advanced robotic technology during the operation, which was the world's first robot-assisted surgery cut of its kind, and China's first successful womb transplant

Yang's new womb has come from her mother and would have been removed in a three-hour operation before being transplanted in a 14-hour-procedure at the Xijing Hospital (graphic explains how it was done)  

All her life Yang had wanted to have children, so with doctors at the Xijing Hospital they decided the only way she could do this would be to go for a womb transplant. 

She agreed, even though it had never been successfully done in China.

Surrogacy was never an option for her, as it is illegal in China.

A womb transplant is extremely challenging for surgeons. This particular operation lasted 14 hours, others globally usually last around six. 

Doctors at Xijing hospital used advanced robotic technology during the operation, which was the world's first robot-assisted surgery cut of its kind.

Yang will now need to take immunosuppressant drugs following the transplant and throughout her pregnancy, to prevent the chances of her body rejecting her mother's womb. 

She will be monitored extremely closely now she has taken the womb, the biggest problem she will face is strong rejection. This is not just in Yang's case, it is still a huge worldwide medical problem. 

Before Yang was accepted for the surgery she had to go through the hospitals ethics committee proceeding for their approval.

Fertile future: Yang (centre) is seen leaving the hospital with her family after the successful surgery in China

Doctors successfully operating on Yang during a womb transplant, donated by her mother. Once fully recovered, a frozen embryo will be implanted, and if all goes well, she will become pregnant

This is an example of how a womb transplant is carried out in the UK. Yang will go through the same procedure but her case is different, as the donor who is her mother was not deceased when she gave Yang her womb

Speaking to reporters, the medical branch assistant at the hospital Liu Liang said: 'There were no conflicting interests between mother and daughter and it was entirely voluntary.

'The donor only delivered a platform to sustain life, and the receptor of the pregnancy is with a husband who will provide his own genetic material.'

For these reasons, the hospital committee allowed the surgery to go ahead. 

Since the successful operation Yang and her mother are both said to be recovering well, and the transplanted uterus has survived. 

The success of this operation is exciting for many infertile women across China as the hospital will now be offering the surgery to more women who fit the criteria. 

It's not just China that's allowing women access to this pioneering womb transplant surgery. 

Only last week a leading hospital in the US announced it is preparing to offer the new procedure, which has also proved success in Sweden. 

The Cleveland Clinic said it will be the first hospital in the US to offer uterine transplants, to ten women of childbearing age who are unable to become pregnant.

This ground-breaking surgery raises the hope of restoring fertility to women across the globe.