The newborn son of Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed has been placed in their physical custody after surrogate McKenna West gave birth on Wednesday morning. The baby, named Gabriel, is receiving medical care for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.
West, 28, a nurse from Alaska, was carrying the child for the California couple. The heart defect was diagnosed during a 20-week scan, at which point Gilkar and Ahmed, aged 43 and 45 respectively, instructed West to obtain an abortion. West refused and relocated to Texas, seeking a Dallas hospital known for its success rate with such cases.
West's attorney, Lincoln Wilson, stated that the baby received life-saving surgery immediately after birth. A Texas judge had previously granted clearance for the baby to receive care in the state but ruled that West would have no contact with the child post-birth.
Lee Bunder, an attorney for Gilkar and Ahmed, told TMZ that his clients are devastated by the public attention to their family's situation, describing it as "political theater" by the Texas Attorney General's office and West. The couple had initially agreed to a contract with West that included a clause requiring abortion in the event of a fetal anomaly. West had expressed concerns about the clause to Worldwide Surrogacy Specialist, the agency facilitating the surrogacy, and inquired about financially assisting the couple to prevent an abortion.
According to reports, Ahmed told West that they had removed the baby's 12-week ultrasound from their home and asked her to mail the 20-week images directly to him. West then discovered the Texas hospital with a high success rate for the necessary surgeries. She informed the surrogacy agency of her plan to live in Texas to mitigate costs for the biological parents. A liaison for the agency indicated that the couple remained concerned about the baby's future quality of life.
West also expressed horror at the prospect of a medical abortion, which she described as the dismemberment of the fetus. She was put in touch with Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, who offered assistance in getting West and her children to Texas for medical consultations.
The biological parents filed a $250,000 lawsuit against West, seeking reimbursement for payments made and additional charges. They also reportedly requested she give birth in California, though it was unclear if they intended to pursue surgery or only comfort care for the infant. West, through her attorneys, agreed to travel to California if the parents committed to the surgery. However, she also filed a lawsuit in Alaska seeking sole custody to facilitate the medical treatment in Texas.
The baby, referred to as 'Baby Gabriel,' was born after West had already been granted clearance for life-saving care in Texas, but a judge prohibited her from having contact with the infant after his birth.
