Dr. Giuliano Testa, the Baylor Scott & White Health doctor who led the clinical trial that delivered the first two uterine transplant babies in the U.S., has been named to the Time 100, which features Time’s selections for the most influential people of 2018.
Testa is the chief of abdominal transplantation at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and the principal investigator of the uterine transplant clinical trial. The first baby was born to a mother with a transplanted uterus in November; the second was in February.
The mother of the first baby, who has chosen to remain anonymous, penned a note about Dr. Testa for the Time 100 wherein she briefly discusses the process. The mother was told as a teenager that she’d never be able to carry her own child after being born without a uterus.
She met Dr. Testa in 2016 and became one of the first 10 women selected for the new clinical trial:
The experience was not without setbacks. But through it all, Dr. Testa was a pillar of strength and assurance. And that confidence was contagious.
This past November, I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby boy. As I held him in my arms, I caught Dr. Testa’s eye. He had worked so hard to make this happen—not just for me, but for the millions of families who have been told that parenthood through pregnancy is impossible. It has been the honor of my life to be a small part of his miracle.
Baylor Scott & White is currently planning a second trial to include an additional 10 patients.
“This is truly an incredible honor and a testament to the team and process we have in place at Baylor University Medical Center,” Testa said of the honor, in a statement. “I am proud our work is contributing to the body of knowledge on transplantation across the world and that we have been able to achieve our goal of helping women who have been previously unable to have a baby.”
Testa’s peers on this year’s list include names like Tiffany Haddish, Cardi B, a group of Stoneman Douglas High School students, Sterling Brown, and Jimmy Kimmel. Explore them all here.
