The biological parents of a baby born with a serious heart defect have asked a judge to bring their continuing legal dispute with his surrogate to an end.
California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed accused McKenna West, who gave birth to their son, of seeking to profit from the media attention surrounding the case, according to TMZ.
The couple alleged that West, 28, continued pursuing the court case despite previously indicating that she would withdraw it, the outlet reported.
Gilkar and Ahmed also claimed that West was still seeking custody of their son, whom they named Rumi.
Several state courts have already rejected West’s attempts to participate in the child’s medical treatment, however.
West has said that Ahmed and Gilkar pressured her for weeks to terminate the pregnancy after doctors diagnosed the baby with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Gilkar and Ahmed, in contrast, alleged that West later reversed her position, stopped communicating with them and continued the pregnancy against their wishes.
West gave birth to the boy on August 12 in Dallas, Texas, where she has called him Gabriel rather than Rumi. Most abortions are banned in the state.
Surrogate mother McKenna West, 28, has been accused of continuing her legal battle with the biological parents of the baby she delivered
Biological parents Omar Ahmed, right, and Nausheen Gilkar, center, alleged that West was trying to profit from media attention surrounding their son
West entered into the surrogacy agreement with Gilkar and Ahmed in August 2025 through Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists LLC.
The contract contained a provision requiring her to terminate the pregnancy if an “abnormality” was detected.
According to Alaska court documents cited by the Associated Press, the couple said West agreed to end the pregnancy after the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
One legal filing stated that it was “undisputed that West initially agreed and that she herself made the initial appointment,” the AP reported.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome occurs when one side of the heart is severely underdeveloped, disrupting normal blood flow. Symptoms can include gray or blue-tinged skin, breathing difficulties, skin rashes and a weak pulse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the condition can be managed with a series of surgeries soon after birth. The procedures do not cure the defect, but they can help improve the heart’s ability to function.
About 925 babies are born with the condition in the United States each year. Without treatment, affected infants may die within days or weeks.
Court filings also said the couple wanted West to give birth in California, where the baby could begin cardiac treatment on the West Coast.
The parents argued that West was “harming” the child by “requiring him to be born in Texas, away from his parents and the specialized cardiac team in Los Angeles that will provide his lifelong care,” the AP reported.
The baby was photographed surrounded by tubes, wires and breathing equipment after undergoing major heart surgery
McKenna West, the Alaska surrogate mom who refused to abort the child, has called him Gabriel, while his biological parents insist on calling him Rumi
West eventually discovered a hospital in Texas that had a 100 percent success rate in recent years with the first of three surgeries the baby would require.
She was also put in touch with Lila Rose, the founder and president of anti-abortion group Live Action, who assured West that she would help her get to Texas.
Days before she gave birth, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office was intervening to ‘protect baby Gabriel’s life’ by notifying UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of legal obligations to provide life-saving care.
Gilkar and Ahmed have accused West of contracting with special interest groups for money and legal representation, per TMZ.
The baby boy underwent a major heart surgery known as the Norwood procedure after being born.
On September 2, Texas District Court Judge Ashley Wysocki ruled against West’s attempt to gain sole conservatorship of the child.
The Superior Court of California for Los Angeles County had already recognized Gilkar and Ahmed as his legal parents in June.
Plus, the Texas Supreme Court blocked her attempt to prevent the biological parents from taking the baby to a hospital in LA, where they live.
West took her legal battle all the way to the Supreme Court, but she was denied by Justice Elena Kagan
West took her fight up to the Supreme Court but she was denied by Justice Elena Kagan on September 22.
Kagan did not detail the legal reasoning, which is typical in emergency appeals. She made the decision because she handles appeals of cases out of California.
‘We are grateful that Rumi can continue receiving the treatment he needs to survive, and that he will not be stripped away from his parents, who are ensuring their child receives top-notch medical care,’ Ahmed and Gilkar’s legal team told the Daily Mail then.
‘Ms. West’s legal filings across three states, numerous courts of appeals, and now the US Supreme Court have sought to undermine Rumi’s parents’ right to provide him with the care he needs,’ the statement continued. ‘Those efforts have been rejected by every single court.’
Photos have shown the tiny boy covered in tubes and medical equipment with a long scar running down his chest.
The Daily Mail has reached out to West’s attorney, Lincoln Davis Wilson, and the couple’s legal team for comment.
