A surrogate mother who refused an abortion for the baby she was carrying at the request of the biological parents is now being sued by the couple.
McKenna West from Alaska was hired to be the surrogate for Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed who claim they paid West $60,000 during the pregnancy. West, however, claims that when the baby, who she has nicknamed “Gabriel,” was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) at 20 weeks, the couple began seriously considering aborting the child.
After two weeks of West sharing positive medical testimony with the couple about the outcomes for children with HLHS, the surrogacy agency nonetheless informed her that she needed to terminate the pregnancy, according to LiveAction.
Heartbroken and in emotional turmoil, she initially scheduled an appointment for Seattle, Washington – the closest location to Alaska to obtain an abortion at that stage.
That’s when West’s brother stepped in: he called McKenna and encouraged her not to go through with the abortion, offering that he and his wife would adopt the child to spare them both from that outcome.
West then shared the dilemma with a friend who knew Lila Rose of LiveAction. Once Rose caught wind of the story, she immediately moved to connect West with lawyers and began the process of helping her travel to the state of Texas.
The surrogate who refused to abort the baby she was carrying is now being sued by the biological parents who have since taken custody of the child.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 19, 2026
Nausheen Gilkar & Omar Ahmed are suing 28-year-old McKenna West for over $100,000.
> West says no to abortion
> West gives birth
>… pic.twitter.com/y6zl7BApdq
The biological parents filed lawsuits to try and force West to travel to California to give birth, but they would not commit to giving baby Gabriel the life-saving care that he needed. West filed for custody of the child, and just prior to giving birth, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened. A Dallas judge ordered that the child be given life-saving care upon birth and remain in Texas.
Baby Gabriel was born on August 12, but a different court order resulted in the baby being taken from West immediately after birth.
The biological parents are now suing West for $100,000 for allegedly breaching the surrogacy agreement and additional damages for “malicious, outrageous conduct.”
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