Surrogacy dispute turns into custody battle over newborn

A legal dispute has escalated into a custody battle following the birth of a baby boy in Texas. The child, named Rumi by his biological parents, was born to surrogate McKenna West after she refused to terminate the pregnancy upon the diagnosis of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital heart defect.

Biological parents Omar Ahmed and Nasheen Gilkar, residents of California, claim their surrogacy contract included a clause allowing for termination if an anomaly was discovered. They allege West initially agreed to the decision before changing her mind and cutting off contact. West, an Alaskan nurse, has contested these claims and is currently fighting for custody of the child, whom she named Gabriel.

The newborn is currently in the physical custody of Ahmed and Gilkar and is receiving specialist medical care. He has already undergone the Norwood procedure, the first of several surgeries typically required to manage HLHS. His attorney stated that the baby’s condition remains ‘critical and complex’ as he recuperates.