Baby with heart defect carried by surrogate must receive care, Texas court says
Surrogate McKenna West declined to get an abortion requested by the intended parents after the fetus she is carrying was diagnosed with a severe but treatable heart defect.
On Wednesday, a baby with a rare heart defect was born in Texas to a surrogate named McKenna West, following an intervention by state Attorney General Ken Paxton. The baby, named Gabriel, was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a severe congenital condition where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. West, from Alaska, was 20 weeks pregnant when the diagnosis was made.
West refused an abortion requested by the intended parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California. After West's refusal, she traveled to Dallas County, Texas, for protection and to ensure Gabriel could receive medical care from specialists familiar with his condition. The intended parents had previously sought a court order to have the birth in California.
However, a Texas court intervened, ordering that lifesaving care be provided upon birth and appointing a guardian ad litem to represent Gabriel. Texas law protects any baby born in the state, as per Paxton's office. The baby is currently under the custody of the parents, receiving medical care at a tertiary care center. The court order also states that the parents are responsible for medical decisions, preventing West from having any contact with the child after birth.
The baby's birth has raised concerns about the potential for political manipulation, with allegations that the case has been turned into "political theater" by the Texas Attorney General's office and the surrogates. The intended parents have also expressed their devastation over the case being portrayed as a tragedy.
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