Can a baby be born twice? The unbelievable story of UK mother’s cancer surgery

In an extraordinary medical feat, a baby in the UK was effectively “born twice.” Lucy Isaac, a teacher from Oxford, underwent a complex five-hour surgery at 20 weeks pregnant to remove ovarian cancer. During the procedure, surgeons temporarily removed her womb—still carrying her unborn son, Rafferty. Once the cancer was successfully treated, the womb was placed back, allowing the pregnancy to continue. Rafferty Isaac was eventually delivered full-term in late January, weighing 6 pounds 5 ounces, according to the Daily Mail.

Lucy and her son Rafferty recently returned to John Radcliffe Hospital, just weeks after the life-saving surgery, to personally thank surgeon Soleymani Majd. Describing the moment as both rare and deeply emotional, Majd said he felt an unexpected sense of connection and familiarity with the baby.

Faced with limited options, a team led by Dr. Soleymani Majd suggested an exceptionally rare and intricate procedure—to remove the cancer while keeping Lucy’s unborn baby, Rafferty, safely inside the womb during surgery. The high-risk operation, carried out only a few times worldwide, required temporarily removing Lucy’s womb—with Rafferty still inside—to access and treat the cancer. Despite the daunting risks, Lucy and her husband, Adam, placed their trust in the medical team and went ahead with the procedure in October.

Dr. Majd described the operation as his most complex case, given the advanced stage of Lucy’s tumours. Remarkably, the surgery was a success, and Rafferty was safely born in late January. The moment was especially emotional for the family, made even more meaningful by the fact that Adam had undergone a kidney transplant just two years earlier, in 2022.

Adam said, "To finally hold Rafferty in our arms after everything we have been through was the most amazing moment."

Dr. Majd was supported by a team of 15 medical experts during the intricate procedure, which required temporarily removing Lucy’s womb while keeping it connected to essential blood vessels and tissues. This delicate approach was crucial to ensuring Rafferty’s safety throughout the surgery.

Throughout the surgery, Lucy’s womb—still carrying Rafferty—was delicately wrapped in a warm saline pack to maintain a stable temperature. Two medics monitored it closely, replacing the pack every 20 minutes to ensure Rafferty stayed safe and warm. The team also extracted a tumour sample for analysis, which confirmed it was grade two cancer. Once the cancerous tissue was successfully removed, the womb was carefully repositioned, and Lucy’s abdomen was stitched closed.

Lucy’s womb remained outside her body for two hours—significantly longer than in any of Dr. Majd’s previous cases. Reflecting on the experience, Lucy said she felt “incredibly lucky” to have received a diagnosis and undergone treatment, especially since she had shown no symptoms. .