Surrogate who delivered baby with heart defect denies political motives amid multi-state custody fight

Surrogate McKenna West, a cardiac nurse from Alaska, gave birth in Texas last week to a baby boy diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect that typically requires a series of surgeries. The infant, named Rumi, underwent a Norwood procedure on Monday, a complex operation with a 90% in-hospital survival rate, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

In an op-ed published Thursday, West said her decision to carry the pregnancy to term was based on her medical knowledge that surgery could give the child a chance of survival. She wrote, > "People have called this political theater. It isn’t. This is about giving an innocent child a shot at the life he deserves."

The surrogacy agreement signed in 2022 allowed the intended parents, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, to request an abortion if fetal abnormalities were detected. After the heart defect was identified during a 20-week anatomy scan, West declined to terminate the pregnancy, citing personal conscience concerns. Court filings in Alaska allege that the couple subsequently pressured her with legal threats, while the couple’s counterclaim asserts they sought a California order to establish parental rights and secure medical care for the baby.

The parties are now engaged in parallel proceedings in Alaska, California and Texas. A Texas court appointed a guardian ad litem to protect the child’s privacy and to receive medical information. The Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has asked the court to ensure the baby receives the required surgery.

West’s legal representation is provided by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative advocacy group. The couple’s attorney has said the parents are focused on the child’s health and are upset that the dispute has been framed as a political issue. West said her priority remains the baby’s ongoing medical needs and that she is pleased the surgery was successful.