A surrogate mother is engaged in a legal battle with the biological parents of the child she is carrying, alleging they are demanding she abort the fetus after a diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a condition described as severe but treatable. McKenna West, the surrogate, initiated the lawsuit asserting that the biological parents, identified in court documents as A.B. and C.D., pushed for an abortion in accordance with a clause in their surrogacy agreement.
Doctors in Alaska, where West resides, reportedly refused to perform the procedure, which is described as a risky, two-day late-term abortion. The biological parents then allegedly instructed West to travel to Seattle for the procedure. West, an Alaskan nurse and single mother of two, has stated that she is unwilling to proceed with an abortion, particularly given that the condition is treatable. She expressed concern about the procedure, which involves terminating the fetus by injecting a solution to stop its heart before dismemberment and removal.
Newborns diagnosed with HLHS typically require immediate surgery to survive their first week. According to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, infants who undergo surgery have a 75% chance of surviving to age 5 and a 90% chance of reaching age 18 if they survive their first year. West offered to assume full responsibility for the child, including all financial and custodial duties, if the biological parents were to relinquish their rights. This offer was reportedly rejected, with the biological parents threatening to sue West for $250,000, an amount she claims would bankrupt her.
West has since relocated to Texas, seeking a hospital specializing in pediatric cardiac care. Legal proceedings are underway in both Alaska Superior Court and the California Second District Court of Appeal, where the biological parents are reportedly seeking to compel West to give birth in California and are pursuing parental rights over the child, who is due on September 3.
West suspects the biological parents' actions may be an attempt to secure an abortion by refusing the child life-saving surgery. She has offered to waive all parental rights if they agree to the necessary surgery for the child, but they have refused. Court documents indicate the biological parents have also discussed palliative care options with doctors.
Conversely, A.B. and C.D. claim West is misrepresenting the situation and is motivated by financial gain. Their complaint states there is uncertainty about the child's eligibility for surgeries because West has allegedly refused an amniocentesis test, fearing it might jeopardize her payment.