Baby in surrogate dispute now in custody of parents, lawyer says
The baby at the center of a surrogacy dispute was born in Texas Wednesday and has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare heart defect.
A baby born with a rare heart condition is now in the physical custody of his parents, according to their lawyer. The infant, born on Wednesday in Texas, suffers from hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which necessitates multiple surgeries in early life. The baby's parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, both from California, sought an abortion for the surrogate, McKenna West, when they discovered the diagnosis.
However, West refused to abort and traveled to Texas before the baby's birth. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, securing a court order ensuring the baby's timely medical treatment after birth. The court also determined that Gilkar and Ahmed, not West, hold responsibility for medical decisions, as per the court order.
Gilkar and Ahmed's lawyer, Lee Budner, announced that the baby is presently under their physical custody while receiving expert medical care at a tertiary care center. Budner expressed gratitude that West's interference with the baby's medical care was disproven by the courts. Despite the medical challenges, the parents remain focused on their baby's well-being, following medical advice.
West's attorney, Lincoln Davis Wilson, confirmed that West intends to contest the court orders regarding parentage, arguing that Texas law deems the birth mother as the child's legal mother. Wilson also noted the baby's positive signs, referring to him as Gabriel, though he could not provide details about the baby's medical facility.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
