“Julie is one of my best friends. Seeing my friend so upset,I said that I would do it. I said let’s do the blood test and see how we go,” she explains.

While blown away by Corstorphan’s generosity,Craven was initially apprehensive.

‘I was terrified,but also grateful and proud of how far I’d come and how brave I was to be in that moment.’

Prue Craven

“I was worried that she was offering out of sadness for my mum,that maybe she didn’t fully understand what she was agreeing to do. I was cautious about it. We needed to know that this offer was genuine,and without any agenda.”

After a long discussion with Corstorphan,their concerns abated.

“We immediately knew Maddie was being completely honest and genuine,that her heart was totally in it. You could actually see her light up talking about all the possibilities. She really wanted this to work out for us and wanted to help,” Craven says.

Corstorphan spoke to her own daughter to see if her uterus might be needed in case she too had an issue with pregnancy.

“Once I knew my daughter Kira could carry children I had no reservations,the decision to proceed and see how far we could go was easy,” she said.

With Corstorphan confirmed as a match,the next steps in the Royal Hospital for Women’s Uterine Transplant Trial began.

As a part of the pre-screening assessment,both donor and recipient undertook a variety of medical and psychological tests including CT scans,dental exams,mammograms,pelvic ultrasounds and internal exams,renal nuclear scans,chest X-rays,bone scans,blood and urine testing,as well as psychological assessments,including interviews.

“It’s all about patient safety. We don’t want to proceed with the surgery if there are any issues,” says gynaecologist and uterine transplant project lead,Dr Rebecca Deans.

Eva Kehag,a social worker on the uterine transplant team,said the assessments also look out for strong social networks for both donor and recipient. “This is important because the process is a big adjustment,” she says.

“Prue and Maddie already being a part of each other’s social network was helpful in many ways because they could help support one another.”

This involved keeping in close contact regarding each other’s health and well-being and regular social catchups,including family celebrations.

“This was our way to stay connected,relax and have a laugh,” says Craven.

In late February,within a week of the pre-screening tests,the transplant surgery,only the third of its kind in Australia,was officially booked for early March.

For Corstorphan,the lead-up to surgery triggered heightened emotions.

“Until then,it was nothing short of positivity,that everything would keep aligning and matching up,keeping the prospect of a transplant alive and a real possibility,” she says.

“Then it’s those moments when you look at your daughter and dear friends and have thoughts that ‘this could be it,I may never see them again’ come to mind. I quickly stopped any negative thoughts,but I had to be honest,they were there.”

Craven also experienced complex emotions.

“When the porter came to take me to theatre,I cried all the way there. I was terrified,but also grateful and proud of how far I’d come and how brave I was to be in that moment.”

The surgery was completed successfully in the usual timeframe – 10 hours for the donor and four for the recipient. “Medically both women did very well,” says Deans.

Upon waking post-surgery and seeing her husband by her side,Craven asked him the question she had been waiting what felt like a lifetime to ask:“Do I have a uterus?”

“Tom said yes,then I cried very happy and relieved tears. I had longed for this feeling and this moment for what felt like my entire life. I finally felt like a real woman,I finally felt whole,” she says.

Corstorphan too felt relief and optimism.

“My uterus was now Prue’s and there was a renewed hope that Prue’s dream of carrying her own child was now a very real possibility. I was relieved for them and so happy and content that I was able to help her pursue her ultimate dream.”

Since the transplant,both women have experienced minor medical complications and have found the recovery process challenging.

“I am usually a very active person,so for me to be bedridden for almost two weeks post-surgery,has been frustrating. I can’t believe just how tender I ultimately was,” says Corstorphan.

For Craven,taking the immunosuppressant medications that help her body from rejecting the donor organ has been one of the most difficult aspects.

“I never envisioned having to swallow 37 pills a day,16 alone just for breakfast. I know some of these are only temporary,but again it’s a huge change,” she says.

In about six months’ time,the recovery for both women should be complete and the transplant team will consider the next step,the first embryo transfer;meaning that by the end of 2023,Craven could be pregnant.

But whatever the future holds,one thing is clear:the friendship between Corstorphan and Craven will remain an integral part of both women’s lives.

“I’ll always have a bond with Prue as we have shared something quite remarkable and so beautiful,” Corstorphan says. “I’m sure this bond will deepen as we near the end of our recovery period and move on with the next phase of our lives – for Prue that continues to be her endeavour to carry her own child in her new womb.”

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