Surrogate mother McKenna West has revealed that the baby she refused to abort is now in critical condition after undergoing major heart surgery.
According to TMZ, the baby underwent an open-heart operation known as the Norwood Procedure after being born with a serious heart condition.
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The case has attracted attention because West previously refused to terminate the pregnancy after doctors discovered that the baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare and serious birth defect in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped and unable to pump blood around the body properly.
It was previously reported that the baby’s biological parents, Nasheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, filed a lawsuit against West weeks before she gave birth after she refused to terminate the pregnancy.
According to reports, the couple’s agreement with West contained an abortion clause that allowed the pregnancy to be terminated if medical problems involving the fetus were discovered.
The couple later sought $100,000 in damages from West, claiming that she had breached the agreement.
West, however, continued with the pregnancy and eventually gave birth to the baby, whom she named Gabriel.
Following the birth, West began preparing for a legal battle over the child’s parentage.
Her attorney, Lincoln Wilson, said West wants to become Gabriel’s legal parent because she gave birth to him in Texas.
“She is seeking parentage of the child because she gave birth in Texas, and in Texas, if you give birth to a child, it’s your child,” Wilson said.