Baby In Surrogate Custody Battle Is Getting Worse [Op-Ed]

One might think the conflict between McKenna West and the California couple she served as a surrogate for, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, would be settled now that the baby has been born. While West was still pregnant with Gilkar and Ahmed’s baby, the couple wanted the pregnancy terminated after learning that the baby would be born with a severe heart condition, but West refused to have the abortion, traveled to Texas, where abortion has been outlawed, and had the baby.

Now that baby is here and in the custody of the couple who had planned to be parents in the first place, so that should be it, right? Well, no. Actually, both parties are still embroiled in a multi-state legal battle, as West now wants the right to make medical decisions for the baby boy, whom she calls “Gabriel,” despite the biological parents’ insistence that his name is Rumi Ali Ahmed. And Rumi’s condition is getting worse, according to the couple.

According to NBC News, during a hearing in Dallas on whether a temporary restraining order preventing West from seeing the baby or making decisions for him would be enforced, Gilkar testified that her son’s condition, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), has worsened, and that West is attempting to deny her and her husband their parental rights to oversee the child’s care all because they previously wanted him aborted.

“He’s our child,” Gilkar said through tears on the stand, adding that West is “unstable,” and is “trying to take him from us.”

NBC noted that court documents filed by the couple’s attorney before the hearing said Rumi was in critical condition and appeared to be “suffering from potential complications” from a procedure after he was born. Gilkar reportedly said in court that the baby had no blood flow to the left side of his heart, and that since surgery, he has gasped for air, choked on tubes and needed a blood transfusion.

“He’s the most beautiful person I’ve never seen,” Gilkar said. “He’s the love of our lives. He’s suffering a lot.”

Meanwhile, West’s attorneys argued that Gilkar and Ahmed were not committed to guaranteeing that the baby would undergo the series of surgeries and “life-saving care” he needs, which, again, seems to be an argument based solely on the fact that the couple would have terminated the pregnancy if they initially had their way. In fact, when West took the stand, she told her lawyer, Lee Budner, that if the court finds that Gilkar and Ahmed are, indeed, committed to Rumi’s care, she would drop any custody claims.

So, again, what are we even doing here?

According to KERA News, Dallas County District Judge Ashley Wysocki extended the temporary restraining order for 14 additional days pending the ruling on who gets custody. So, this legal battle, whatever it is, continues, and we’ll just have to wait and see how this messy story plays out.

SEE ALSO:

Baby Born In Surrogate Dispute Is Now The Subject Of A Custody Battle

Surrogate Gives Birth To Baby Biological Parents Wanted Aborted

California Couple Says Baby’s Heart Condition Is Getting Worse, While Surrogate Fights For Custody [Op-Ed] was originally published on newsone.com