Surrogate refuses to terminate pregnancy after heart defect diagnosis, seeks custody

Biological parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed have disclosed their plight involving a surrogate refusing to abort their critically ill newborn due to a heart defect. They hired 28-year-old nurse McKenna West to carry their child after facing multiple failed IVF treatments and Gilkar's hysterectomy. During a court hearing, Gilkar revealed that West signed a surrogacy agreement allowing termination in case of fetal abnormalities.

Upon discovering the baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart condition, Gilkar and Ahmed decided to request termination. However, West denied any intention to withhold medical treatment from their son. Rumi was born on August 12 and immediately required intensive medical attention. The couple's lawyer claims that West's refusal to undergo an amniocentesis, which could have provided additional information about the baby's health, delayed surgery.

Rumi is currently in critical condition and may need another three to four weeks to determine the success of his open-heart surgery. The couple has been able to hold their son only a few times due to his constant medical needs. The dispute has now evolved into a custody battle between the biological parents and the surrogate. West's lawyers argue that she should be recognized as the baby's mother due to her birthing him, while she is currently barred from contacting Rumi by a temporary restraining order.