A newborn boy at the heart of a contentious surrogacy dispute involving the Texas attorney general and his biological parents made his debut in Dallas on Wednesday, as confirmed by attorneys representing the birth parents and the surrogate.
The infant, who is facing a congenital heart condition, was delivered by McKenna West, a surrogate from Alaska. She traveled to Texas after alleging that the child’s biological parents pressured her to terminate the pregnancy, a claim that the parents deny.
Lee Budner, the attorney for the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, stated, “Our clients’ child was born earlier this morning and he is now receiving medical care provided by a team of pediatric experts.” He further asserted that West’s attempts to influence the child’s medical care had been rejected by the courts. Notably, Gilkar and Ahmed clarified that the baby is not named Gabriel, despite being referred to as such by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and West.
The couple’s legal representative emphasized their primary concern is ensuring the baby receives necessary medical treatment while they cherish every moment with him. “Our clients’ only focus at this time is ensuring that their baby receives the medical care that he vitally needs and that they, as his parents, are able to spend every precious moment they can with him,” Budner added.
The child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious condition where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped, at 20 weeks gestation. West sought a ruling from a Dallas court to affirm her parental rights as the birth mother to intervene in the child’s medical treatment.
On Tuesday, Paxton announced he would intervene on behalf of West, alleging that Gilkar and Ahmed refused to consent to life-saving surgery for the infant’s heart condition. Budner did not comment on this claim in his statement. A judge in Dallas ordered that the child must receive life-saving care at birth and remain in Texas.
In a separate ruling, the judge granted the biological parents a request that prohibits West from making any medical decisions for the child or claiming to be the child’s mother, thereby affirming the couple’s parental rights. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for August 25.
Lincoln Wilson, West’s attorney, stated that she currently does not have access to the newborn. Wilson disclosed that West began her surrogacy journey after matching with Gilkar and Ahmed through a Connecticut-based agency. While their relationship started positively, it soured after the couple allegedly pressured West to terminate the pregnancy due to the baby’s health issues.
Wilson described West as feeling fearful about being coerced into making a decision she found morally unacceptable. He recounted her internal conflict about potentially ending the life of the child she was carrying.
However, the legal team for Gilkar and Ahmed refuted claims that they forced West to seek an abortion, asserting that West initially agreed to the decision. Court documents filed in Alaska indicate that the birth parents made the difficult choice after consultations with medical professionals regarding the severe implications of the diagnosis.
The filing also claimed that West previously consented to the termination and then abruptly withdrew from communication with the biological parents and retracted medical releases that would allow them to interact with healthcare providers. It was stated that doctors indicated the heart defect posed a significant risk to the child’s health and that West’s actions had jeopardized necessary medical assessments.
Wilson noted that West’s brother advised her on the situation, suggesting adoption if she opted against the abortion. This support influenced her decision to carry the baby to term, according to Wilson.
Conversely, Gilkar and Ahmed’s attorneys assert that the couple had resolved to see the pregnancy through to delivery. Court documents reveal that the biological parents had consulted specialists in both Los Angeles and Dallas, seeking to have West deliver in California, where they planned for the child, whom they call Rumi, to begin immediate medical treatment.
They argue that West’s relocation to Texas and her insistence on delivering there unnecessarily complicate the infant’s care, potentially delaying critical treatment. A California trial court previously recognized Gilkar and Ahmed as the rightful parents, and an appellate court dismissed West’s appeal to halt that ruling.
West is now seeking legal recognition in Texas, where state law designates any woman who gives birth in Texas as the legal mother of the child. Despite the judicial decisions in California and Texas, Wilson maintains that West should retain custody rights simply because she gave birth to the child in Texas.
