What Is Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome? Fight Over Unborn Baby Explained
The condition, while treatable, is not curable and requires three heart surgeries before the child reaches the age of 3.
In an Alaskan surrogate's legal dispute with Californian parents, the center of contention revolves around an unborn child diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). McKenna West, an Alaskan nurse and single parent, became a surrogate through Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists to generate income while spending time with her children. She became pregnant with Baby Gabriel in December 2025 after matching with Californian couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed.
Upon a 20-week prenatal scan, doctors revealed Baby Gabriel had HLHS, a congenital heart defect that obstructs normal blood flow through the heart. HLHS necessitates multiple surgeries shortly after birth to ensure proper blood flow to the body. Without surgical intervention, the condition can lead to breathing issues, rapid heartbeat, weak pulse, and bluish skin.
Treatment involves a series of surgeries, starting within the first two weeks of life, to create an aorta, connect vessels to the lungs, and ultimately allow oxygen-poor blood to reach the lungs.
Despite the complexity of the surgeries, West refused to abort Baby Gabriel, emphasizing that the condition can be treated. The Californian couple, however, sought to have the baby aborted, citing an abortion-upon-demand clause in their surrogacy agreement. Alaska doctors refused the high-risk, late-term abortion, prompting the couple to request West to travel to Seattle for the procedure. West declined, proposing that the biological parents should terminate their rights to the child.
This legal battle has led to a multi-jurisdictional conflict involving the Alaska Superior Court, the California Second District Court of Appeal, and a Dallas District Court in Texas. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, securing an emergency order to protect Baby Gabriel's right to necessary medical treatment and prevent the baby's removal from Texas while the lawsuit proceeds. The crowdfunding campaign launched by a friend of West has surpassed its $40,000 funding goal.
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