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McKenna West case: Genetic parents want baby immediately moved from TX to CA
Last week, surrogate McKenna West requested from the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) a stay of a California ruling that ruled she has no legal or physical claim to the baby she carried and gave birth to after his genetic parents wanted her to abort him. Now, she has filed an emergency supplemental brief to inform SCOTUS that recent developments in Texas courts have increased the urgency of its response to her request.
West is attempting to ensure that Baby Gabriel/Rumi receives the life-saving care that he needs, which his genetic parents have not yet formally committed to giving him.
Surrogate McKenna West submitted an emergency supplemental brief to inform SCOTUS of recent developments in Texas courts that increase the urgency of its response to her recent request.
That recent request asked the Supreme Court to put a stay on a California ruling that said West has no legal or physical claim to the baby she carried for nine months.
After Justice Elena Kagan requested a response from the genetic parents by September 18, in regard to West's request for a pause on the California court's ruling, the guardian ad litem for the baby in Texas filed an emergency motion to modify the Texas court's previous order forcing the parents to provide the baby with life-saving care.
If the California ruling is lifted, West hopes to again be a part of the Texas case so she can ensure the baby receives the medical care he needs.
West was acting as a surrogate for a California couple when they began to pressure her to have an abortion after the baby boy was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious but treatable condition. West refused the abortion and sought treatment options for the baby instead, finding specialists to treat the condition with a high rate of success in Dallas, Texas.
Without the promise that the genetic parents would ensure the baby received life-saving care at birth, West decided to fight for custody in order to protect him. A court in Texas ordered that Baby Gabriel/Rumi needed to receive care and to remain in Texas for that specialized care, but now his genetic parents appear to be trying to have that ruling lifted.
After a California court ruled that West does not have the right to legal or physical custody of the baby, a Texas court dismissed her from the case that originally ruled Baby Gabriel/Rumi must remain in Texas for the life-saving surgeries.
Without West's ability to defend that decision and protect the baby, the ruling is susceptible to reversal. This led West to file a request to the SCOTUS to lift that California court's ruling, allowing her to be put back on the Texas case.
According to the newest brief, West explained that "relief was urgently needed because Respondents N.G. and O.A. could attempt to remove Baby G. from the hospital as soon as September 17, 2026. However, that date appears to have been too conservative, and an administrative stay is now needed by 1:00 EST tomorrow."
N.G. and O.A. are Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, the genetic parents of the baby. West learned on Monday that after Justice Elena Kagan requested a response from the genetic parents by September 18, in regard to West's request for a pause on the California court's ruling, the guardian ad litem for the baby in Texas filed an emergency motion to modify the Texas court's previous order forcing the parents to provide the baby with life-saving care.
The genetic parents have joined that motion "to remove Baby G. from the hospital and from the State of Texas," according to West's brief.
"At the urging of the Commissioning Parties, the Texas court has set the hearing on the guardian ad litem’s motion for tomorrow, September 15, at 2:30 pm EDT," reads the brief. "Because [West] has been dismissed from that case with prejudice, the Commissioning Parties are maintaining that [West] may not be heard in connection with their request. That is one of the core irreparable harms described in the Application."
West is renewing her request for "an immediate administrative stay to preserve the child's life, the status quo, and this Court's jurisdiction."
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·Human Interest·By Nancy Flanders
McKenna West case: Genetic parents want baby immediately moved from TX to CA
Last week, surrogate McKenna West requested from the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) a stay of a California ruling that ruled she has no legal or physical claim to the baby she carried and gave birth to after his genetic parents wanted her to abort him. Now, she has filed an emergency supplemental brief to inform SCOTUS that recent developments in Texas courts have increased the urgency of its response to her request.
West is attempting to ensure that Baby Gabriel/Rumi receives the life-saving care that he needs, which his genetic parents have not yet formally committed to giving him.
Surrogate McKenna West submitted an emergency supplemental brief to inform SCOTUS of recent developments in Texas courts that increase the urgency of its response to her recent request.
That recent request asked the Supreme Court to put a stay on a California ruling that said West has no legal or physical claim to the baby she carried for nine months.
After Justice Elena Kagan requested a response from the genetic parents by September 18, in regard to West's request for a pause on the California court's ruling, the guardian ad litem for the baby in Texas filed an emergency motion to modify the Texas court's previous order forcing the parents to provide the baby with life-saving care.
If the California ruling is lifted, West hopes to again be a part of the Texas case so she can ensure the baby receives the medical care he needs.
West was acting as a surrogate for a California couple when they began to pressure her to have an abortion after the baby boy was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious but treatable condition. West refused the abortion and sought treatment options for the baby instead, finding specialists to treat the condition with a high rate of success in Dallas, Texas.
Without the promise that the genetic parents would ensure the baby received life-saving care at birth, West decided to fight for custody in order to protect him. A court in Texas ordered that Baby Gabriel/Rumi needed to receive care and to remain in Texas for that specialized care, but now his genetic parents appear to be trying to have that ruling lifted.
After a California court ruled that West does not have the right to legal or physical custody of the baby, a Texas court dismissed her from the case that originally ruled Baby Gabriel/Rumi must remain in Texas for the life-saving surgeries.
Without West's ability to defend that decision and protect the baby, the ruling is susceptible to reversal. This led West to file a request to the SCOTUS to lift that California court's ruling, allowing her to be put back on the Texas case.
According to the newest brief, West explained that "relief was urgently needed because Respondents N.G. and O.A. could attempt to remove Baby G. from the hospital as soon as September 17, 2026. However, that date appears to have been too conservative, and an administrative stay is now needed by 1:00 EST tomorrow."
N.G. and O.A. are Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, the genetic parents of the baby. West learned on Monday that after Justice Elena Kagan requested a response from the genetic parents by September 18, in regard to West's request for a pause on the California court's ruling, the guardian ad litem for the baby in Texas filed an emergency motion to modify the Texas court's previous order forcing the parents to provide the baby with life-saving care.
The genetic parents have joined that motion "to remove Baby G. from the hospital and from the State of Texas," according to West's brief.
"At the urging of the Commissioning Parties, the Texas court has set the hearing on the guardian ad litem’s motion for tomorrow, September 15, at 2:30 pm EDT," reads the brief. "Because [West] has been dismissed from that case with prejudice, the Commissioning Parties are maintaining that [West] may not be heard in connection with their request. That is one of the core irreparable harms described in the Application."
West is renewing her request for "an immediate administrative stay to preserve the child's life, the status quo, and this Court's jurisdiction."
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Liberty Counsel
·Pop Culture
Bridget Sielicki
·Human Interest
Bridget Sielicki
·Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·Human Interest
Angeline Tan
·Issues
Nancy Flanders
·Pop Culture
Nancy Flanders
·Politics
Nancy Flanders
·Investigative
Nancy Flanders
·Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·