Surrogate who had baby in Texas against parents’ wishes denies ‘political theater’ accusation

McKenna West, the surrogate in the center of a multi-state legal battle over a baby who was born with a rare heart condition, sought to “set the record straight.”

A surrogacy dispute has escalated after the baby was born with a rare heart condition, underwent major surgery and became the centre of a legal battle between the carrier and his biological parents

Surrogate mother McKenna West was horrified when the parents of the baby she was carrying ordered her to abort the child over a serious — but treatable — birth defect.

The surrogate has called the newborn Gabriel, while the couple has referred to the baby boy as Rumi in court filings.

The biological parents of a baby born via surrogate McKenna West are now seeking more than $100,000 in a countersuit over their surrogacy agreement.

August 19, 2026 10:04 AM ET The biological parents of a baby boy born with a heart defect are suing their surrogate after they claimed she allegedly violated the abortion clause of their surrogacy agreement by not terminating the pregnancy.Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed are suing McKenna West for more than $100,000 for