Politics · India Bureau
Biological parents explain surrogate abortion request for critically ill infant
A couple has revealed in court proceedings why they asked their surrogate to terminate a pregnancy after their unborn child was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. The surrogate refused and is now seeking custody of the newborn.
LSN India ·
In an ongoing custody dispute, biological parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed have disclosed their reasons for requesting that surrogate McKenna West terminate her pregnancy following a diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome in their unborn baby. The couple sought to end the pregnancy after learning of the serious cardiac condition, according to court filings.
West declined the request to proceed with termination, choosing instead to carry the pregnancy to term. She subsequently gave birth to the infant, named Rumi, who has since undergone the Norwood procedure—a surgical intervention typically performed on newborns with the life-threatening heart condition.
The newborn remains in critical condition following the complex surgery. West has filed for custody of the child, initiating a legal dispute over guardianship and parental rights.
A Dallas judge has extended a temporary restraining order while deliberating the custody case. The proceedings highlight the complex legal and ethical issues surrounding gestational surrogacy arrangements, particularly when prenatal diagnoses of serious medical conditions arise during pregnancy.