Baby Stuck in Legal Battle Between Bio-Parents and Surrogate Mother Survives Emergency Heart Surgery
A baby boy who's caught in the middle of a legal dispute between his surrogate mother and the intended parents has survived the first of three emergency heart surgeries.
At 20 weeks pregnant, surrogate mother McKenna West was told the baby boy she carried had hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Due to the diagnosis, the biological parents, now identified in multiple reports as Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, asked West to abort him.
Declining the Los Angeles couple's demands, West fled to Texas, where she gave birth on August 13, 2026, under state protection to a baby boy she named Gabriel.
BACKGROUND: Surrogate Mother Chooses Life, Gives Birth to Baby After Bio-Parents Requested Abortion
Upon birth, the baby received immediate medical care from the UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center of Dallas.
He has reportedly survived the intense heart surgery and is now in his biological parents' custody. They renamed him Rumi.
According to ABC 7, the couple's attorney Lee Budner released a statement: "My clients immediately provided consent for the surgery to occur at the hospital's earliest availability. Rumi was taken into the operating room for surgery earlier this morning (August 17th) ... His condition remains critical and complex, and his family seeks privacy in caring for their son on his long road to recovery."
With the infant healing from his first surgery, his biological parents are also suing his surrogate mother, making national headlines with the court case.
Pro-life activist Lila Rose reports the parents are suing West for $100,000 for violating the contract when she refused to abort their son.
BREAKING: Surrogate mother McKenna, responsible for saving baby Gabriel’s life, is being sued $100K by the buyers for violating the contract by refusing to abort.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) August 19, 2026
They are now planning to keep baby Gabriel.
All while suing the mother who saved his life. pic.twitter.com/OP79aKlvux
His story, along with many others, has raised moral and ethical concerns surrounding surrogacy and the children affected in the process.
MORE: Same-Sex Couple Sues Surrogate for Refusing to Abort Baby With Possible Minor Birth Defect
