(Image source from: Baby born from 15-year-old frozen ovary-a new medical landmark})

In a first of its kind ever seen in medical history, a woman in Belgium gives birth to a baby using frozen ovary tissue giving a hope to hundreds of young cancer victims.

The woman who asked to remain anonymous was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at the age of five. Seeing the severity of the disease, the lady was asked by doctor to undergo bone marrow transplant using her brother’s matching tissue.

In order to start the process, the doctors needed to give her chemotherapy to disable her immune system and stop it from rejecting the foreign tissue.

With a thought that chemotherapy can destroy the ovarian function, the doctors had removed her right ovary and frozen tissue fragments. At the age of 15, her remaining ovary also failed and she was not able to attain her puberty.

Ten years later when she decided to have a baby, the doctors inserted the removed ovaries onto her remaining ovary. The ovaries had been kept in frozen condition from the day it was removed.

The patient started menstruating spontaneously five months later and was able to conceive.

The birth of a baby by frozen ovary tissue has increased the hope of doctors as it could help shape the future of human reproductive technology.

The unidentified woman has delivered a healthy boy in November 2014, weighing just less than 7lbs.

- Smrutirekha