Surrogate McKenna West Loses Legal Claim to Baby After Delivering Against Biological Parents' Abortion Wishes
Surrogate McKenna West, an Alaskan nurse, has reportedly lost her legal claim to a baby boy she delivered in Dallas, Texas, against the wishes of the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. The Los Angeles couple had requested West terminate the pregnancy after the baby was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) at 20 weeks, a condition treatable with immediate surgery. West, however, refused to abort and traveled to Texas, where state law recognizes the birth mother. Despite her actions, a Florida-based reproductive law attorney, Marla Neufeld, stated that West has virtually no legal claim to the child, as California courts have already ruled Gilkar and Ahmed as the legal parents. Less than 24 hours after his birth, the baby, whom West named Gabriel, was placed in the custody of his biological parents, who intend to name him Rumi. 
