McKenna West, a surrogate mother and cardiac nurse, is continuing a legal fight for custody of a newborn boy who underwent life-saving heart surgery shortly after birth. West claims she was separated from the infant only 60 seconds after his delivery on August 12.
West had agreed to carry a child for intended parents Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar of California. According to West, Ahmed and Gilkar requested she terminate the pregnancy after the fetus was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) at approximately 20 weeks gestation. West refused the request and subsequently traveled to Texas to give birth.
"I haven’t been allowed to hold this precious baby boy I carried and protected throughout my pregnancy," West stated in a New York Post op-ed. "The only glimpse I got of him was during a very short 60 seconds while his umbilical cord was still connected. As soon as the cord was cut, he was taken away."
Attorneys for Ahmed and Gilkar dispute key aspects of West's account. Lee Budner, their attorney, stated that the intended parents provided immediate consent for the baby's surgery once doctors determined he was eligible. The infant, whom Ahmed and Gilkar refer to as Rumi, underwent the Norwood procedure, the first of three surgeries typically required for HLHS, on August 17.
Budner added that the child's condition remains "critical and complex" following the surgery and that the family will not be providing further health updates. He also accused West of pursuing custody in violation of multiple court orders from Alaska and California.
West, with assistance from Alliance Defending Freedom, maintains that her intention is not to take another couple's child but to advocate for the infant's ongoing medical needs. Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, an organization supporting West, echoed this sentiment, stating West is fighting for the child's protection and his chance to live.
Rose also questioned the timeline of the intended parents' consent, pointing to a court intervention that she believes ensured the baby received necessary surgery. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had previously intervened in the case, reminding two medical centers of their legal obligations to provide medically necessary care after the child's birth.
The Norwood procedure is a critical step in treating HLHS, but the infant's long-term medical care remains central to the ongoing legal dispute. West has stated her commitment to ensuring the baby receives the full treatment required for survival.