A California couple’s surrogate, McKenna West, gave birth to a child with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in Texas. The child is receiving stabilizing care and is scheduled to undergo surgery at a Texas hospital.
Dispute Over Medical Care
The couple, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, had allegedly wanted to end the pregnancy after the unborn child was diagnosed with the condition. However, West, the surrogate, refused to comply, leading to a dispute over medical care for the child.
A judge in Dallas ordered life-sustaining treatment for the newborn, following an intervention by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The couple has denied intending to refuse surgery for the child, but West’s lawyers claim they had pressured her to seek an abortion.
Medical Condition and Treatment
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a life-threatening condition that requires multiple surgeries. Without treatment, children with this condition can die within days or weeks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 925 babies in the US are born with this condition each year.
West’s lawyers have alleged that the couple broke a surrogacy contract and that a California court determined she has no rights to legal or physical custody of the child. However, Texas law gives parents the rights to make decisions about medical care, and courts have the power to intervene if life-saving care is being denied.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
