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McKenna West seeks custody of newborn baby Rumi in high-profile legal battle over surrogacy and abortion rights

McKenna West, an Alaskan surrogate mother, is pursuing legal custody of a newborn boy named Rumi, who was born with a rare congenital heart condition. The dispute arose after West refused to terminate the pregnancy when the baby was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, despite a request from the intended parents, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar. While the couple initially sought to have the baby aborted, West argued that she should not be forced to undergo atermation against her wishes, leading to a multistate legal battle spanning Alaska, California, and Texas. West traveled to Texas to give birth, where she was supported by conservative anti-abortion groups and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton intervened to ensure the baby received life-saving heart surgery, which the infant underwent successfully on Monday. The biological parents, Ahmed and Gilkar, maintain that they consented to the surgery and are seeking to keep the child. The case has become a prominent example of the debate over fetal personhood and the potential for future restrictions on commercial surrogacy in Texas.

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