Who Is McKenna West? The Surrogate Who Defied Abortion Orders and Gave Birth in Texas

A Texas judge has ordered life-saving treatment for a newborn boy and barred his removal from the state after Alaska surrogate McKenna West refused a request from the baby's intended parents to terminate the pregnancy, following a 20-week diagnosis of a serious heart condition.

West, who carried the baby for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, gave birth in Dallas and says she wanted the child to undergo surgery. The couple say their focus is their son's medical care.

Court orders have prevented West from making medical decisions or presenting herself as the child's mother while a cross-border parental rights dispute continues.

The case has become a closely watched test of how surrogacy agreements, parental rights and newborn treatment decisions can collide when the surrogate and intended parents live in different states. The child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition affecting development of the left side of the heart.

Who Is McKenna West?

McKenna West is an Alaska-based nurse and single mother of two who became a gestational surrogate through Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists. In an interview with Live Action, she said she pursued surrogacy after hearing about a friend's experience and viewed it as a way to support her family while helping another family have a child.

West applied to the agency in February 2025 and was later matched with California intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, according to her lawyer, Lincoln Wilson. Her pregnancy was achieved through IVF, West said.

What the Parents and Courts Say

Gilkar and Ahmed's lawyers deny that West was compelled to end the pregnancy. In an Alaska court filing dated 20 July, the parents' lawyers said West initially agreed to termination and made an appointment before changing her mind, withdrawing medical releases and ending contact with the couple.

The filing says the couple consulted specialists in Los Angeles and Dallas and planned for the child to be born in California, where he could begin long-term cardiac care.

It argues that West's move to Texas could mean the newborn begins treatment in one state before being transferred to a specialist team elsewhere.

A California trial court recognised Gilkar and Ahmed as the child's legal parents, and an appellate court refused West's request to pause that ruling, according to the court accounts.

West argues that Texas law gives her standing as the birth mother because she delivered the child in the state.

A Dallas judge ordered life-saving treatment after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, alleging that the intended parents would not consent to surgery. The parents' lawyer did not address that allegation publicly but said their 'only focus' was ensuring their child received the medical care he 'vitally needs'.

A separate order gave Gilkar and Ahmed responsibility for medical decisions within the treatment order's requirements.

The Baby's Condition and Next Steps

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a rare, complex congenital condition in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. Children with the condition generally undergo three operations: the first within two weeks of birth, the second at four to six months, and the third between 18 months and five years, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Paxton's office said doctors believed surgery offered the baby a 'meaningful chance of survival'. The parents' court filing described significant long-term health risks and said the condition has no cure, positions that underline the medical issues at the centre of the legal dispute.

West and Paxton have referred to the baby as Gabriel, while the intended parents call their son Rumi. The difference reflects their unresolved dispute over the child's legal parentage and future care.

West, Gilkar and Ahmed are scheduled to return to court on 25 August. The hearing is expected to consider the next phase of the case as the newborn receives specialist treatment.