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Surrogate Gives Birth in Texas Following Multistate Legal Dispute Over Medical Care
Just the facts
Surrogate McKenna West gave birth to a baby boy in Texas after relocating from Alaska following a diagnosis that the fetus had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, stated through attorney Lee Budner that they initially agreed with West on terminating the pregnancy due to the condition's severe medical outlook before West relocated and ceased contact. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton obtained an emergency court order barring the fetus from being removed from Texas and requiring local medical facilities to provide life-saving care upon delivery. The newborn is currently receiving specialized treatment from pediatric cardiac specialists in Dallas County.
Why this is news
A surrogate mother from Alaska delivered a baby boy in Dallas County, Texas, following an emergency court intervention requested by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The birth followed a legal dispute with the biological parents over medical care after the fetus was diagnosed with a severe congenital heart defect.
Developments timeline
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent an official warning letter to Children's Medical Center of Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center, advising that federal disability civil rights laws prohibit withholding life-saving medical care from newborn Gabriel based on his heart defect.
- Attorney Lee Budner confirmed that the newborn infant has been placed in the custody of his biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, and is currently receiving medical care.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.