U.S. couple confront surrogate in escalating court battle over sick newborn
The hearing offered the fullest public airing to date of an escalating conflict at the intersection of surrogacy, abortion, and parental rights in the U.S.
A California couple is facing legal battles with their surrogate over their newborn baby, who has a life-threatening heart defect. The parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, named their child Rumi, but the surrogate, McKenna West, is seeking sole conservatorship to make medical decisions for the child. The couple argues that West broke their surrogacy contract by not terminating the pregnancy as agreed.
West, an Alaska nurse, left her home state for Texas, where almost all abortions are prohibited, in an attempt to comply with the couple's wishes to terminate the pregnancy. Doctors learned of the fetus's heart defect at around 20 weeks. West claimed in court that the baby had a good chance of survival and leading a long life despite the diagnosis.
The judge has not ruled on final custody or conservatorship, but the restraining order issued against West remains in effect.
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