🕒 Created · Updated

Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed Dispute Custody of Newborn with Surrogate McKenna West in High-Profile Texas Court Case

A Dallas County judge is presiding over a high-profile parentage dispute between California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed and their surrogate, McKenna West. The newborn, diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, is currently in critical condition following a complex Norwood procedure. The legal battle centers on whether the surrogate or the genetic parents should hold conservatorship. Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed argue that they are the rightful parents, noting that they underwent eight rounds of IVF before choosing surrogacy. They requested that McKenna West terminate the pregnancy after the diagnosis, a move West refused. West, who is an Alaska nurse, argued that she refused to abort the baby, which she named Gabriel, while the parents named him Rumi. The case highlights a conflict between abortion and surrogacy laws across three states. While a California judge previously ruled the couple as the legal parents, West seeks to have that ruling disregarded in Texas. The judge has extended a temporary restraining order, preventing West from making medical decisions for the child while the final ruling is pending.

Sources