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Surrogate mother who fled to Texas gives birth to baby with severe heart defect

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A surrogate mother who traveled to Texas gave birth to a baby boy with a severe heart defect.
  • The surrogate and the baby's biological parents dispute whether an abortion was agreed upon, with Texas's attorney general intervening to protect the child.
  • The baby, named Gabriel by the attorney general, is receiving medical care, while the biological parents deny pressuring the surrogate to terminate the pregnancy.

A surrogate mother who traveled to Texas, where abortion is illegal, gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday. McKenna West, from Alaska, claimed she was pressured to end the pregnancy after the fetus was diagnosed with a severe heart defect.

Our clients’ child was born earlier this morning and he is now receiving medical care provided by a team of pediatric experts.

— Lee BudnerStatement to the Texas Tribune by the attorney for the biological parents.

The child's biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California, denied through their lawyer that they forced West to undergo an abortion. Their attorney stated the couple's child was born and is receiving medical care from pediatric experts. A filing from an Alaska court indicated the couple and West were initially in agreement about an abortion.

My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being. Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for.

— Ken PaxtonNews release from the Texas Attorney General.

The case gained national attention when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened on behalf of West. He secured a court order to prevent the fetus from being taken out of state and requested hospitals provide life-saving care. Paxton and West alleged the California couple intended to deprive the child of treatment, a claim the couple refutes.

I felt very trapped due to this contract. I felt like I had no voice. But I knew in my soul, in my heart that I wanted to protect this little boy.

— McKenna WestStatement on Megyn Kelly's podcast.

Texas's abortion ban, which has exceptions for the mother's health, is under scrutiny for its vague wording. West appeared on a podcast, stating she felt trapped by the surrogacy contract but wanted to protect the baby. Paxton vowed to continue supporting the baby's well-being, naming him Gabriel, a name not provided by the biological parents. The biological parents' lawyer characterized West and Paxton's actions as "political theater."

After heartbreaking consultations with medical providers and their own research about the suffering and quality of life HLHS babies endure, A.B. and C.D. made the difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy.

— Attorneys for Gilkar and AhmedFiling from an Alaska court.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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