Surrogate’s Defiance Sparks Fierce Legal Showdown with Biological Parents Over Unwanted Pregnancy Decision
So, picture this: McKenna West, a nurse and mother of two from the wilds of Alaska, signs up in 2025 to be a surrogate for a California couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. The contract she signed had a crystal-clear clause—if the fetus showed serious abnormalities, termination was on the table. Fast forward a few months, and an ultrasound reveals a rare heart defect—hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Here’s where it gets sticky—when the parents wanted an abortion, McKenna took a detour to Texas, decided to defy the script, and fought tooth and nail not just for the baby’s life, but her own parental rights. Now, the biological parents are back in court, aiming for a hefty $100,000+ in damages, accusing McKenna of breaching their surrogacy agreement. And the tiny life at the center of this storm? Named Rumi by the biological parents, Gabriel by McKenna and supporters. Ever wonder how a surrogacy contract could unleash a legal soap opera with more twists than a daytime drama? Buckle up—it’s quite the story. LEARN MORE
McKenna West, a 28-year-old nurse and mother of two from Alaska, agreed in 2025 to carry a child for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed through Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists.
The agreement contained provisions addressing termination of the pregnancy if serious fetal abnormalities were discovered.
Months later, an ultrasound revealed that the unborn child had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital defect in which the left side of the heart does not develop properly.
- McKenna West agreed to carry Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed’s biological child for $60,000 before the fetus was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
- West refused to end the pregnancy, traveled to Texas, and later sought parental rights after giving birth on August 12.
- Gilkar and Ahmed are now seeking more than $100,000 in damages, accusing West of breaching the surrogacy agreement.
The biological parents wanted West to abort the child, but she traveled to Texas and began fighting to save his life and to be recognized as his legal mother.
However, Gilkar and Ahmed obtained custody as per a court ruling after West gave birth on August 12. They insist the boy’s name is Rumi, while West and her supporters call him Gabriel.
Now the biological parents have escalated the dispute even further.
The biological parents are seeking $100,000 in a lawsuit accusing West of breaching the surrogacy contract
A countersuit was filed by Gilkar and Ahmed weeks before the birth became public on August 19.
According to TMZ, the couple is asking a judge to award them more than $100,000 for West’s alleged breach of the surrogacy agreement.
They are reportedly also seeking unspecified additional damages for what they characterize as her “malicious, outrageous conduct.”
They say they had already paid West $60,000 during the pregnancy and argue that her previous pregnancies meant she understood the obligations she was accepting when she signed the contract.
The couple also claims West’s actions caused them emotional distress and have denied threatening West to undergo abortion.
West, meanwhile, continues to deny wrongdoing.
Her attorney, Lincoln Wilson, has claimed Gilkar and Ahmed “haven’t given [West] anything” since she refused to terminate the pregnancy, leaving her facing major travel and legal expenses while she pursues her own claims.
West’s supporters subsequently turned to online fundraising to help cover her expenses.
West felt “trapped” by the surrogacy contract she had signed with the biological parents
West was originally supposed to give birth on September 2, but went into labor two weeks early.
The baby received immediate medical care and surgery for HLHS, and has been “recuperating under the loving care of his parents,” said the biological parents’ attorney, Lee Budner.
According to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, with surgical treatment, the survival rate to age 5 is 72%, and the survival rate to age 18 is approximately 90%. The oldest person to survive HLHS is in their 30s, the hospital says.
West previously told Live Action News that when she learned about the intended parents’ wish to terminate the pregnancy, she felt “really scared” and devastated: “I felt I had no other option, no way out. It was just a horrible feeling.”
That is when she decided to take legal action to save the baby’s life, fully aware of the clause that was in the agreement she had signed.
“Going into this, we had talked about it when we first met, and I asked them their views on termination, and it was a reassuring conversation that they really wanted a baby,” West said.
“They weren’t exactly sure what decision they would make if something came up, but they ultimately just wanted to be parents, so I felt confident moving forward with them that termination would not be their first choice.”
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