A surrogate mother in Texas gave birth Wednesday to a baby boy who was immediately placed on life-sustaining care after a judge ordered treatment, resolving a legal dispute between the surrogate and the child’s biological parents.
The newborn, who has been diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a severe congenital heart defect, is scheduled to undergo surgery at a Dallas-area hospital. The judge’s order came a day before the birth, following intervention by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who supported the surrogate’s position.
McKenna West, the surrogate, had traveled to Texas from California after alleging that the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, sought to terminate the pregnancy due to the diagnosis. West’s attorney, Lincoln Davis Wilson, stated that she had taken on significant personal risk to ensure the child received medical care.
In court filings, Gilkar and Ahmed denied intending to refuse treatment after birth. Their attorney, Lee Budner, accused West and Paxton of politicizing a family tragedy. “Our clients’ only focus at this time is ensuring that their baby receives the medical care that he vitally needs,” Budner said in a statement.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which affects blood flow from the left side of the heart, often requires immediate surgical intervention after birth. West had previously expressed concerns about a contract clause that would have required her to abort the fetus in the event of a severe anomaly, though she said the surrogacy agency assured her such cases were rare.
The dispute escalated after West offered to assist financially with the child’s care and urged the parents to consider the possibility of survival with the condition. According to West, Ahmed and Gilkar had already removed the 12-week ultrasound from their home and instructed her to mail the 20-week images instead.
The baby, referred to as Baby Gabriel in some reports, remains in critical condition at the Texas hospital, where medical staff are preparing for the scheduled surgery. The case has drawn national attention, with right-to-life groups and Republican officials rallying in support of West’s decision to carry the pregnancy to term.