California Parents Sue Surrogate After HLHS Diagnosis and Texas Birth
The couple says the surrogate breached their agreement after refusing abortion, while courts in Texas and California issued competing orders over the newborn.
- California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed are suing their surrogate, McKenna West, after she refused to terminate the pregnancy following a 20-week diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome , a serious congenital heart condition.
- West, who is from Alaska, traveled to Texas during the dispute and gave birth to the baby on August 12, prompting a complex legal battle over custody, parental rights and medical decisions.
- The parents allege that West breached their surrogacy agreement, while West maintains that she opposed ending the pregnancy and is seeking legal recognition as the child's parent.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened before the birth, and a Dallas judge ordered that the newborn receive life-sustaining medical treatment and remain in Texas for care.
- The baby, referred to as Gabriel by West and Rumi by the intended parents, is now in the California couple's custody and receiving specialized treatment, while the broader legal dispute is expected to continue in court.
40 Articles
40 Articles
'It’s Still Her Body': Surrogacy Expert Reveals Parents’ Worst Fear as Baby at Center of Landmark Custody Fight Now Has Two Names
Baby Gabriel/Rumi is just over a week old but is already at the center of a multistate custody dispute between the surrogate who gave birth […] ‘It’s Still Her Body’: Surrogacy Expert Reveals Parents’ Worst Fear as Baby at Center of Landmark Custody Fight Now Has Two Names
Update: Baby Gabriel Survives First Heart Surgery; Biological Parents Sue Surrogate
Baby Gabriel is alive and recovering from his first major heart surgery in his biological parents’ custody while they sue the surrogate who refused to abort him. The case captured national attention when it broke about two weeks ago, raising serious questions about IVF, commercial surrogacy and what happens when adults disagree about whether a child should be given the chance to live. Baby Gabriel was born on August 12, 2026, in Dallas after McK…
Bizpac Review
American Wire NewsSurrogate refuses to abort baby with heart condition — now the parents want six figures
A California couple who’d recruited a surrogate to give birth to their son has filed suit against the surrogate over her “outrageous conduct.” As previously reported, California […]
Surrogate Mother Sued for Not Aborting Now-Born Baby
The biological parents at the center of a surrogacy conflict are suing the woman who carried and gave birth to the child. The surrogate mother, McKenna West has been accused of violating their contract when she refused to abort the child after he was diagnosed with a treatable heart condition. The surrogacy agreement, obtained by TMZ, reads, “Except as provided herein, the Gestational Carrier agrees that it is her intention that she will not ter…
Why Is McKenna West Being Sued by the Biological Parents of the Baby She Carried?
Alaskan nurse McKenna West gave birth to a baby boy on August 12, 2026, in Texas, and the child’s biological parents have since filed a lawsuit seeking more than $100,000 in damages. As reported by Ladbible, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed allege that West violated their surrogacy contract by refusing to undergo an abortion after a fetal diagnosis. West refers to the child as Gabriel, while Gilkar and Ahmed identify him as Rumi in court filings. …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
