A mum has revealed how her organs “collapsed and crushed” her uterus after she gave birth.
Emily Quinn was six months postpartum when she woke up one morning feeling “intense abdominal pressure”.
The 29-year-old rushed to see her gynaecologist who told her she’d suffered a pelvic prolapse, meaning her bladder and rectum had collapsed.
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Emily underwent seven hours of total pelvic reconstructive surgery, which included a hysterectomy.
The stay-at-home mum, who shares a three-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter with her husband Tony, chose to cremate her uterus and display it above her fireplace.
“I decided to keep my uterus because it was the organ that brought my babies into this world,” Emily, from Illinois, USA, told Need To Know.
“She didn’t deserve to go out like that.
“She did her job and deserved better than to be thrown away into medical waste.
“It’s a sentimental thing for me.
“It helps me cope.
“People think it’s weird, disgusting even, and that’s okay.
“Everyone grieves differently.
“If I didn’t laugh, I probably wouldn’t have made it.”
Emily says there were no warning signs before her pelvic floor muscles failed, causing her organs to shift and compress her uterus, cutting off blood flow in March 2025.
She said: “The moment I went to the bathroom, I knew something was very wrong.
“Not only was my uterus being crushed and was a quarter of the way out of my body, so was my bladder and rectum, which could lead to death.
“There were more than a dozen failed muscles that apparently just gave way and everything collapsed.
“I was so devastated that I barely remember the rest of that appointment, my thoughts racing.
“What if we wanted more kids in the future?
“My heart was shattered.
“I needed a total pelvic reconstructive surgery and they still had no idea why any of this happened in the first place, let alone so suddenly without any warning signs.
“I didn’t even know this condition existed and, as it seems, a lot of individuals with uteruses are unaware of it as well.
“Prior to my surgery, I thought really hard about the fact that I was having an organ removed from my body, an organ that gave my two amazing children life.
“In an odd way, it truly felt like I was losing a part of myself, no pun intended, not just physically, but emotionally as well.
“It wasn’t just an organ being taken from me, but also my choice.
“My choice to have more children, my control over my own body. I felt powerless.”
Emily spent seven hours in theatre and spent the next two-and-a-half weeks bedridden, unable to walk or use the bathroom without a catheter.
Her full recovery took around 16 to 18 weeks.
Now, more than seven months post-operation, she still experiences some discomfort.
Emily, who works in events, said: “My husband took care of not only me but both of our children during this time.
“He would hand-feed me if I was too weak to sit up, made sure I took my medication, bathed me because I couldn’t bend from the waist down, and through all of that, I would lie in bed next to him at night and beg him to end my life because of how much pain I was in.
“I will never be able to properly express how grateful I am for the man that I married.”
After pathology testing was completed, the hospital released the organ to her in a glass jar.
It had to be stored briefly in her refrigerator while she arranged cremation.
Emily said: “I told the doctor I wanted my uterus back after surgery.
“I received a long stare from him.
“His mouth was slightly ajar and he was clicking the button on top of his pen, almost nervously.
“Finally, he asked why and I said ‘Because it’s mine’.
“I told him about how I was feeling and that I wanted to be buried with all of me.
“If I choose to be cremated later on, my family can just add my uterus back in and shake it until well combined.”
Several funeral homes reportedly refused her request, and even a pet crematorium told her they were legally unable to cremate human tissue.
Eventually, a cremation service in Illinois agreed to help.
Because a uterus contains no bone, only a small teaspoon of remains was produced.
Some of the remains were placed into a necklace she now wears daily.
The rest were sealed in an urn engraved with the words: “Womb to Tomb.”
The urn sits on a bookshelf in her bedroom beside photos of her children.
Emily said: “The first time I held the ashes, I felt a sense of relief.
“It felt like I finally had closed the chapter on this nightmare.”
Emily has documented her entire medical journey on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, even launching a GoFundMe to help cover surgery costs.
The online reaction has been mixed.
She has also received abuse from trolls questioning her womanhood.
Emily added: “I’m not shy about it either.
“I’ve been posting about my entire medical journey on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
“Most men think it’s odd, gross even, but a vast majority of women think it’s fantastic and wonderful way to turn something tragic into something I can laugh about now.
“There have been a few transphobic comments, bullying and discouragement, but they are few and far between.
“I stopped caring what people thought of it when I realised they hadn’t gone through what I went through.
“They would never understand. Even the people who were cruel, I still wouldn’t wish what I went through on them.”
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