Surrogate refused abortion after rare fetal heart defect, sparking Texas custody battle
A surrogate says the intended parents sought to terminate the pregnancy after HLHS diagnosis; the baby was born and is receiving care; Rambam specialist warns the untreated heart condition is fatal in 100% of cases
Surrogate McKenna West, from Alaska, carried a baby for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. At around 20 weeks, doctors diagnosed the fetus with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare heart defect requiring multiple surgeries after birth. Gilkar and Ahmed asked West to terminate the pregnancy, but she refused.
West moved to Texas, giving birth to the child, Gabriel, and is now locked in a legal battle over custody. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, ensuring the baby would receive medical treatment. West claims the intended parents pressured her into aborting the baby, while they deny this. The dispute led to a court order prohibiting West from contacting Gabriel and granting Gilkar and Ahmed authority over the baby's medical decisions.
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