Sara Leister, a nurse at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, recently met Emma Dolezal, the recipient of her donated uterus. The meeting took place at the Suburban Pavilion and marked a significant moment for both women. Leister had donated her uterus as part of Penn Medicine’s Uterus Transplant for Uterine Factor Infertility (UNTIL) trial, which has led to several successful births.
Leister was inspired to become an organ donor after seeing the impact of transplantation on a childhood friend who received a heart and double lung transplant. In 2021, she learned about Penn Medicine’s trial for uterus transplantation and applied to be a donor without initially telling her husband. After medical evaluations, she was selected as a candidate.
Emma Dolezal, from York County, Pennsylvania, was born without a uterus due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. After unsuccessful attempts at surrogacy and considering egg donation, she found out about the uterine transplant program through social media and applied. She underwent surgery led by Dr. Kate O’Neill and received Leister’s uterus. Through in vitro fertilization (IVF), Dolezal became pregnant and gave birth to Olivia, the eighth child born through Penn Medicine’s program.
At their meeting in July 2025, Dolezal brought her newborn daughter Olivia to meet Leister for the first time. “This is a beautiful moment,” said Dolezal. “I get to see a part of my miracle face-to-face.” Leister responded, “I knew there’d be a baby at the end. And here she is. It’s amazing.”
Dr. O’Neill attended the meeting along with other members of the surgical team that performed the transplant procedure. This was the first time Dr. O’Neill witnessed a donor and recipient meet in person after such an operation.
“Creating more amazing moms is what makes this special,” O’Neill told WGAL during coverage of the event. “This shows women born without a uterus that they can carry a child.”
Uterus transplants are now available at Penn Medicine for those who qualify; however, costs related to transplantation, IVF procedures, and pregnancy are high and not typically covered by insurance plans. Dr. O’Neill noted efforts are underway to reduce these financial barriers.
In the United States, over six million women experience infertility issues; about 100,000 have uterine factor infertility (UFI), which means they lack a functional uterus or cannot carry pregnancies due to irreversible conditions.
Women interested in donating their uterus must meet certain criteria: donors should be between 30 and 50 years old, in good health with no history of cancer or diabetes for at least five years prior to donation, have given birth themselves previously, and maintain a body mass index under 30.
Dolezal expressed gratitude toward Leister: “Olivia will know about Sara,” she said during their meeting. “She will know she was wanted.” Leister added humorously: “If I had another uterus to give, I would.”
More information about eligibility requirements for donors or recipients can be found on Penn Medicine’s official website.
