A surrogate who defied a California couple’s demand to abort their baby after a devastating heart diagnosis is taking her fight to the U.S.Supreme Court, arguing a lower court ruling has left her powerless to advocate for the medically fragile newborn.Attorneys for Alaska cardiac nurse McKenna West filed an emergency application Wednesday, asking Justice Elena Kagan to temporarily block a Los Angeles court ruling that declared the California couple the baby’s legal parents.Kagan handles emergency matters arising from the Ninth Circuit, which includes California.
She has not ruled on the request.SURROGATE GIVES BIRTH IN TEXAS TO BABY WITH HEART DEFECT AFTER PARENTS REQUESTED ABORTIONSurrogate mother McKenna West, who fled to Texas after her baby's birth parents allegedly asked her to abort the child.(Live Action)West carried the child under a surrogacy agreement with California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, who call the baby Rumi.
West calls him Gabriel.The baby was born in Texas on Aug.12, with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS, a rare condition in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.KAGAN RECALLS LINDSEY GRAHAM'S VOTE THAT HELPED SEAL HER SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATIONThe legal war began after the condition was detected during a 20-week ultrasound.
West alleges Gilkar and Ahmed asked her to terminate the pregnancy under a provision in their surrogacy agreement covering serious fetal abnormalities.West refused, telling the surrogacy agency she could not abort "this precious baby" after feeling him move and learning treatment was available, according to the filing.She offered to raise the child herself or arrange an adoption if the couple no longer wanted him, while allowing them to walk away from any further financial obligations.Her attorneys allege West was then warned that continuing the pregnancy could expose her to more than $250,000 in financial penalties.CONSERVATIVE GROUPS SAY JUSTICE KAGAN CANNOT BE IMPARTIAL IN UP...