Surrogate asks the Supreme Court to intervene over care for a sick baby

A California couple’s surrogate who refused their wishes to have an abortion has asked the U.S.Supreme Court to intervene in a custody dispute over the 4-week-old child, who was born with a serious heart defect.McKenna West filed the emergency appeal Wednesday amid a legal battle over surrogacy and abortion that has won the support of Republican officeholders and anti-abortion groups.

West, who lives in Alaska, traveled to Dallas to give birth in August.Most abortions are banned in Texas.West is asking the nation’s highest court to halt a California court order that recognizes Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar as the parents of the child whom she calls Gabriel and they call Rumi.

West wants final custody or conservatorship because she believes the couple will not provide life-saving care, citing their request for an abortion at 23 weeks.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story The boy was born Aug.12 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a life-threatening condition that prevents normal blood flow to the organ.

He underwent surgery soon after he was born.The couple’s attorney said in August that the newborn was in critical condition and appeared to be “suffering from potential complications.”Surrogacy is not regulated at the federal level.

Each state has its own laws, which can leave room for gaps in interpretation.The Supreme Court is not obliged to hear the case.Ahmed and Gilkar have not responded to the Supreme Court filing.

They previously said West violated the surrogacy contract, and they obtained a restraining order preventing her from seeing or holding the child.Gilkar called West unstable during a hearing Aug.25 in Dallas, telling the court she was trying to take their baby away.“He’s our child,” Gilkar said, wiping away tears.West and her...