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Dallas Family Court Delays Custody Ruling in Surrogacy Case Involving Infant With Heart Defect
Just the facts
California residents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed appeared alongside Alaska surrogate McKenna West in a Dallas, Texas family court regarding legal custody of a critically ill infant born on August 12, 2026. The child was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a severe congenital heart defect that required a Norwood open-heart surgical procedure on August 17. Following post-surgical complications, medical personnel re-intubated the newborn after his respiratory condition deteriorated overnight at the hospital. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton previously secured an emergency court directive ordering regional medical facilities to provide necessary life-saving care without obstruction. The presiding judge left in place a temporary order granting custody to the biological parents while deferring a final decision on conservatorship pending future hearings.
Why this is news
A Dallas family court judge extended a temporary restraining order for two additional weeks as biological parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed disputed custody and medical decision-making authority with surrogate McKenna West. The legal dispute arose after West refused the California couple's request to terminate the pregnancy following a 20-week diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.