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Surrogate Who Refused Abortion Asks SCOTUS for Custody

West says the parents sought an abortion after a fetal heart defect diagnosis and may withhold lifesaving surgery, according to her filing.

  • On Wednesday, surrogate McKenna West filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking custody of the 4-week-old child and challenging a California court order recognizing Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar as parents.
  • The boy was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and West seeks custody, citing the couple's request for an abortion at 23 weeks and her belief they will not provide "life-saving care."
  • During an Aug. 25 hearing in Dallas, Nausheen Gilkar called West "mentally unstable" and testified, "Denying lifesaving care is not true," while a Texas court recognized the California judgment granting the couple custody.
  • According to the Cleveland Clinic, the infant requires a second surgery between 4 and 6 months of age, while West claims she has been dismissed from Texas proceedings and denied access to medical information.
  • The Supreme Court is not obliged to hear the case, and experts note that emergency relief in family disputes is rarely granted, though Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton previously obtained an order ensuring the boy received medical treatment.
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146 Articles

WBIRWBIR
+8 Reposted by 8 other sources
Center

Surrogate asks Supreme Court to intervene over care for sick baby

McKenna West is asking the nation’s highest court to halt a California order that recognizes Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar as the child's parents.

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WNTZ FOX 48WNTZ FOX 48
+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Center

Surrogate who fled to Texas asks Supreme Court to intervene in custody dispute

McKenna West fled to texas after the biological parents allegedly requested an abortion due to a fetal abnormality.

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NBC News broke the news in New York, United States on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
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