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12 clusters · 109 sources · 44 days · First seen · Last updated

US surrogacy and reproductive rights legal dispute

Overview

The legal dispute regarding surrogacy contracts and reproductive rights has escalated into a multi-state battle involving the U.S. Supreme Court. The conflict centers on Alaskan surrogate McKenna West and California-based biological parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed following the birth of an infant in Texas diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).

The dispute originated when the biological parents requested West terminate the pregnancy, a demand they claim is permitted under their $60,000 agreement. West refused, citing the child’s right to live. While a Los Angeles court has recognized Gilkar and Ahmed as the legal parents, a Texas judge recently denied West’s bid for custody.

West filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the infant from being moved out of Texas, arguing an administrative stay was necessary to prevent the baby from being moved to California for hospice care. In response, Gilkar and Ahmed accused West of “fabricating” an emergency and conducting a “publicity tour.”

Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. Justice Elena Kagan rejected West’s emergency appeal, which sought to halt a California court order recognizing Ahmed and Gilkar as the legal parents. Following the birth in Texas, where the child underwent a Norwood procedure after intervention by the Texas Attorney General, a California state court confirmed the parentage of the biological parents. The Supreme Court’s refusal to step in leaves the lower court’s ruling regarding parental rights intact. The infant, referred to as Gabriel by West and Rumi by the parents, remains at the center of the disagreement over medical care and custody.

Entities

McKenna West · Nausheen Gilkar · Omar Ahmed · Ken Paxton · Supreme Court of the United States

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Coverage disagrees

Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Supreme Court declines surrogate mother's emergency custody bid

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in a custody dispute between surrogate mother McKenna West and the intended parents of a baby boy born with a serious heart defect.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 35 sources
    U.S. Supreme Court declines to intervene in surrogate custody dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in a custody battle between a surrogate and a California couple after the surrogate refused to abort a pregnancy following a diagnosis of a severe heart defect.

  3. [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
    Supreme Court to hear custody battle between surrogate and intended parents

    A legal battle over the custody of a newborn with a serious heart condition has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, pitting surrogate McKenna West against intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed.

  4. [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Surrogate McKenna West petitions Supreme Court over Texas custody dispute

    Surrogate McKenna West has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency stay to prevent a newborn with a heart defect from being moved out of Texas during a high-stakes custody dispute.

  5. [INTERNATIONAL] 8 sources
    McKenna West appeals to U.S. Supreme Court in surrogacy custody battle

    Surrogate mother McKenna West has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for custody of a baby born with a heart defect after she refused the biological parents' request to terminate the pregnancy.

  6. [INTERNATIONAL] 5 sources
    Surrogacy dispute over medical decisions reaches U.S. Supreme Court

    A legal dispute over custody and medical decision-making has escalated between an Alaskan surrogate and the intended parents of a medically fragile infant following a disagreement over pregnancy termination.

  7. [POLITICS] 7 sources
    McKenna West appeals to Supreme Court in surrogacy custody battle

    Surrogate McKenna West has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to contest a California ruling over the custody of a baby born with a serious heart defect after she refused the intended parents' request for an's'

  8. [INTERNATIONAL] 3 sources
    Dallas judge delays custody ruling in surrogacy dispute involving newborn

    A Dallas judge has extended a restraining order in a surrogacy dispute involving a newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, delaying a custody ruling while the infant recovers from heart surgery.

  9. [INTERNATIONAL] 34 sources
    Dallas judge delays custody decision in surrogacy and abortion dispute

    A Dallas judge has extended a restraining order in a multi-state legal battle between a California couple and their surrogate over a newborn with a severe heart defect.

  10. [INTERNATIONAL] 17 sources
    McKenna West sued by biological parents after refusing to abort baby

    Biological parents are suing surrogate McKenna West for over $100,000 after she refused to abort their baby following a diagnosis of a serious heart defect, leading to a multi-state legal battle.

  11. [INTERNATIONAL] 14 sources
    McKenna West enters custody battle after surrogacy dispute

    Surrogate McKenna West is entering a legal battle for custody of a baby born in Texas after she refused biological parents' requests to terminate a pregnancy due to a fetal heart defect.

  12. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Surrogacy and abortion rights spark legal and ethical debates

    Legal and ethical debates intensify over surrogacy and abortion rights, highlighted by a Texas case involving an intended couple's attempt to abort a fetus with a heart defect.

Sources

100percentfedup.com · 6abc.com · abc13.com · abc17news.com · abc7.com · abc7chicago.com · abc7news.com · abc7ny.com · americanwirenews.com · atarde.com.br · bangordailynews.com · bbcmundo.com · blackamericaweb.com · blacknews.com · brasilemfolhas.com.br · care-net.org · care.org.uk · cbsnews.com · classixphilly.com · cvandaag.nl · dailypilot.com · deseret.com · diariolibre.com · diebewertung.de · dnyuz.com · dominicanaaldia.com · eldiariony.com · elsureste.com.mx · elveedordigital.com · epochtimes.com · fox4news.com · foxnews.com · genethique.org · getuperica.com · gilmermirror.com · healthcaremail.co.uk · heartlandernews.com · hotspotatl.com · houstonpublicmedia.org · hugogloss.uol.com.br · independent.co.uk · infocatolica.com · internewscast.com · jnilbo.com · juristas.com.br · justthenews.com · kaaltv.com · keyt.com

This summary has been updated 18 times: see revision history