Surrogate Mom McKenna West Reveals Baby Is in Critical Condition After Heart Surgery After Refusing to Abort
Surrogate mother McKenna West has revealed that the baby boy she carried is in critical condition after undergoing heart surgery.
West, a cardiac nurse from Alaska, was a surrogate for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. At the 20-week anatomy scan, doctors diagnosed the fetus with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare condition where the left side of the heart fails to develop.
West said the intended parents requested she terminate the pregnancy under a clause in their contract. After she refused, she traveled to Texas to give birth, where Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened to ensure the child would receive care.
The baby, called Gabriel by West and Rumi by his biological parents, was born in Dallas on August 12. According to reports, he underwent complex palliative heart surgery this week and is now in critical condition in the NICU, while a multi-state legal battle over parental rights and custody continues.

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