- A California couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, are in a Texas court dispute with their surrogate over a newborn with a life-threatening heart defect, and they have told the court the child's condition has worsened.
- The surrogate, McKenna West, a nurse from Alaska, gave birth on August 12 in Texas, where most abortions are banned, and the case has drawn right-to-life groups and GOP officeholders to her side.
- After West gave birth, the couple obtained a restraining order barring her from seeing or holding the child, and the judge left it in effect without ruling on final custody.
- West testified that she was 23 weeks pregnant when she made an appointment for an abortion at the couple's urging but was not comfortable with it, believing the baby had a great chance at survival.
- The couple named the newborn Rumi, while West calls him Gabriel and seeks sole conservatorship to make medical decisions.
- West and her attorneys argue the couple were not committed to ensuring the baby would undergo life-saving surgeries, and West said she would drop custody claims if the court finds they are committed.
A California couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, are in a legal dispute with their surrogate, who gave birth to their son Rumi, in Texas. The couple claims Rumi suffers from hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious congenital defect affecting blood flow, and his condition has worsened since birth.
“He’s our child,” Gilkar testified, expressing anguish over the surrogate's attempts to deny them parental rights due to their previous abortion request.
The surrogate, identified as West, is seeking sole conservatorship to make medical decisions for Rumi, arguing that the couple is not committed to ensuring he receives necessary surgeries.
West revealed in court that she was pressured into considering an abortion at 23 weeks but ultimately decided against it, believing Rumi had a chance at survival.
Court documents indicate Rumi is in critical condition, having experienced complications post-birth, including a lack of blood flow to the left side of his heart, requiring a blood transfusion and emergency care.
The judge has yet to rule on custody, leaving a restraining order in place that prevents West from seeing the child. The case highlights the complex intersection of surrogacy, parental rights, and medical ethics in a post-Roe v. Wade landscape.
“The surrogate, McKenna West, a nurse from Alaska, gave birth on August 12 and seeks sole conservatorship to make medical decisions, while the couple obtained a restraining order barring her from seeing the child. West testified she was 23 weeks pregnant when she made an abortion appointment at the couple's urging but believed the baby had a great chance at survival.”
