Newborn in Texas surrogacy battle has heart surgery
The infant is recovering after the first of three planned heart surgeries as court orders set custody and medical decisions with the parents, officials said.
- On Monday, Rumi underwent the Norwood procedure, the first of three required heart surgeries to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect diagnosed before birth.
- The birth follows a tense multi-state legal dispute between parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed and their surrogate, McKenna West, over medical decisions and custody rights spanning California and Alaska.
- About 925 babies in the U.S. are born annually with HLHS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the second surgery typically occurs at 4 to 6 months, the Cleveland Clinic reports.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened last week, alleging the parents might refuse medical care, which they denied; the parents' attorney, Lee Budner, accused Paxton of turning their tragedy into "political theater."
- Budner labeled West's ongoing custody claims "baseless" and "in violation of multiple court orders out of both Alaska and California," as the family requests privacy during Rumi's recovery.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Baby in Texas-California surrogacy battle receives heart surgery
The baby boy involved in a multistate surrogacy battle over his life-threatening heart defect had emergency surgery Monday, days after he was born in a Texas hospital. McKenna West, the surrogate who birthed the baby last Wednesday, has said she fled from Alaska to Texas to have the child after his biological parents in California tried to force her to have an abortion due to his severe congenital heart condition. West refused to have the aborti…
North Texas Surrogacy Dispute: Baby Undergoes First Heart Surgery
A North Texas infant at the center of a multi-state legal dispute between his biological parents and surrogate has undergone the first of three surgeries expected to treat a life-threatening heart condition. The baby, whom his biological parents call Rumi, underwent the Norwood procedure on Monday in Dallas, according to attorney Lee Budner, who represents parents Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar of California. Rumi was born last Wednesday after b…
The biological parents allegedly wanted to force a surrogate mother in the United States to abortion because the baby had a heart defect. The mother gave birth to the child; now it was operated on.
Baby at center of surrogacy legal battle between Los Angeles, California couple, Alaska surrogate undergoes heart surgery, attorney says
The baby at the center of a surrogacy legal battle between a Los Angeles, California couple and an Alaska surrogate underwent heart surgery, an attorney says.
abc11 Raleigh
Baby at center of LA-Texas surrogacy legal battle undergoes heart surgery, attorney says
The baby at the center of a surrogacy legal battle between a Los Angeles, California couple and an Alaska surrogate underwent heart surgery, an attorney says.
The Independent
The Independent (US)Baby at center of controversial surrogacy dispute undergoes first heart surgery
The complex Norwood procedure performed this week is the first step in a multi-stage surgical process expected to stretch over the next several years
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