Alaska surrogate mother battles court to keep baby with heart defect alive

Surrogate mother McKenna West, a nurse from Alaska, is suing a couple who contracted her through Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists after a 20‑week ultrasound revealed the unborn child, named Gabriel, has hypoplastic left‑heart syndrome. The contract she signed required an abortion if a fetal anomaly was detected, but West refused, saying she would not end the baby’s life.

The intended parents, citing concerns about the child’s future quality of life, demanded the pregnancy be terminated. West argues that the baby can survive with surgery after birth and that the parents must allow the operation. The case is now before an Alaska court, which must decide whether the parents can be compelled to permit life‑saving treatment for the child.

The dispute highlights the legal complexities of surrogacy agreements, abortion rights, and medical obligations in the United States.