In an unusual twist to a surrogacy arrangement, the biological parents of a child born in Texas are accusing their surrogate of breaching their contract after she declined to proceed with an abortion. They are seeking damages that surpass $100,000.

According to a report by TMZ released Wednesday, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed filed a countersuit against McKenna West shortly before her delivery on August 12. The lawsuit, submitted within Texas’s jurisdiction, argues that West’s decision contravenes their prior agreement.

Gilkar and Ahmed claim West’s actions breached the terms of their surrogacy contract and inflicted emotional distress. They demand a payout exceeding $100,000, alongside undisclosed reparations for what they describe as her “inhuman and outrageous behavior.”

The legal documents further reveal that the couple disbursed $60,000 to West throughout the pregnancy. This payment fell within the parameters outlined in their agreement, which purportedly covered provisions for pregnancy termination. They assert that West contravened these terms, leading to significant emotional turmoil.

The filing comes after the pregnancy became the subject of a multistate legal fight. The baby was diagnosed around 20 weeks with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart defect. Gilkar and Ahmed allegedly asked West to terminate the pregnancy after the diagnosis, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. West refused and later traveled to Texas to give birth.

West denies wrongdoing and is asking the court to dismiss the counterclaims, TMZ reported Wednesday.

Live Action founder and president Lila Rose, whose pro-life organization has been working with West, sharply condemned the lawsuit in a statement to News Media.

“The people who ordered McKenna to abort this little boy because of his heart condition are now dragging her into court, trying to punish and financially ruin her for refusing to kill him, while demanding custody of the same child they ordered to be killed,” Rose told News Media. “This lawsuit is retaliation against a courageous woman who is barely a week postpartum after carrying this baby and fighting to save his life.”

The biological parents have disputed allegations that they threatened or tried to force West to terminate the pregnancy. The Texas Tribune previously reported that, in a court filing, their attorneys claimed West initially agreed to terminate and made the appointment before later changing her mind.

The dispute has since played out in Alaska, California and Texas, with West asserting parental rights and the biological parents prevailing in key parentage proceedings. West calls the baby “Gabriel,” while Gilkar and Ahmed call their son “Rumi.”

The child was born Aug. 12. LifeNews reported Tuesday that he underwent a Norwood procedure Monday, the first of three surgeries typically required for children with HLHS.

Rose said the baby’s survival underscores why West was right to refuse the abortion.

“This child is alive today and recovering from his first life-saving surgery because McKenna had the courage to say no,” Rose said. “No contract can give one person the right to order the killing of another. Women are not incubators for hire, and children are not products to be discarded when they are sick.”

“McKenna acted heroically to save the baby boy she carried, and Live Action will continue to stand with her and defend the dignity and right to life of every child,” she added.

Attorney Lee Budner, who represents Gilkar and Ahmed, confirmed the procedure in a statement reported by LifeNews and said the child’s condition “remains critical and complex.” Budner has also called West’s continuing claims of custody “baseless” and said they violate court orders in Alaska and California.

The fight over the baby’s medical care also drew intervention from state and federal officials. Paxton secured an emergency court order before the birth requiring that medically necessary care not be delayed or obstructed. His office also notified UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of their obligations to provide life-saving treatment.

“The court has made the right decision in immediately acting to protect baby Gabriel’s life and ensure he receives the care he deserves,” Paxton said at the time. “My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being. Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for.”

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights later notified the two Dallas hospitals of their obligations under federal disability law, including requirements barring discrimination in medical treatment based on a patient’s disability.

The parents ultimately authorized the heart surgery, and their attorney has said they are focused on their son’s recovery.

West continues to seek parental rights in Texas. A hearing in the Dallas County case is scheduled for Aug. 25.

News Media reached out to Budner and Paxton’s office for comment on the biological parents’ counterclaims.

In a dramatic scene captured on video, a dirt bike rider being chased by police through Los Angeles streets caused a stir when he stopped mid-pursuit to refuel his bike.

The individual, suspected to be armed, was initially seen careening through the avenues of South Los Angeles before making an unexpected stop at a gas station to top off his tank.

In a rush, the rider hastily remounted and sped away, inadvertently yanking off part of the gas pump as he bolted.

Throughout the chaotic chase, the suspect, donning a head covering, was also observed using his cellphone—both holding it to his ear and scrolling through it.

Sugary sodas and fruit juices have never been the poster children for healthy eating.

These beverages have long been criticized as culprits of empty calorie consumption, often containing more sugar than four Krispy Kreme donuts. This excess can lead to increased risks of chronic health issues such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and dental decay. 

Now, emerging research suggests a new danger: consuming just one sugary drink per day might significantly heighten your chances of developing fatal stomach cancer.

In this latest study, researchers associated with Harvard delved into the health records of over 100,000 adults. Participants completed biennial surveys detailing their dietary patterns and beverage intake.

From the analysis, a startling pattern emerged. Individuals consuming at least one sugar-laden drink daily had more than double the risk of stomach cancer compared to those who avoided these beverages entirely. 

And women were the most vulnerable, with a three-fold increased likelihood of being diagnosed with the condition compared to two-fold for men.  

The researchers noted that while more research is needed to find a firm association between sugary drinks and gastric cancer, the new study is the first of its kind to investigate the potential relationship.

The findings also come as scientists race to find causes behind a nationwide surge in stomach cancer cases, particularly among adults under 50.

Artificially sweetened beverages, however, were not associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer.  

‘This is the first study to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gastric cancer in a US population,’ Andrew T Chan, senior study author and gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said.

‘Gastric cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide, but we’ve known very little about how diet might contribute to this cancer.’

According to the American Cancer Society, about 31,500 Americans are diagnosed with stomach cancer every year and just under 11,000 die. 

Patients on average are 68 years old, and the majority are diagnosed after age 65. 

While cases were on a steady decline for nearly a century, starting in the 2010s, there has been an uptick in younger groups. 

Among people under 50, diagnoses have risen by roughly one percent a year, which experts say may be due to ultra-processed foods, antibiotic use and the stomach bacteria H pylori. 

Early warning signs can be vague and easy to dismiss, including persistent abdominal pain, bloating and frequent burping. Rather than triggering alarm, these symptoms are often brushed off as stress, diet or minor digestive issues.

Instead of anything sudden or dramatic, many patients simply report a lingering sense that something is ‘off’ – a low‑level discomfort that gradually worsens over time.

By the time they seek help, they are often already at later, harder-to-treat stages. 

In the new study, published in Gastro Hep Advances, researchers looked at health data from 112,284 adults enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. 

Participants filled out questionnaires every two years on dietary habits, including information on sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda, punch, lemonade and sports drinks. These generally include high-fructose corn syrup, though the researchers did not specify what sugars the beverages were sweetened with. 

The team did, however, differentiate between sugar-sweetened beverages and those sweetened using artificial sweeteners, such as diet sodas. 

Between 1986 and 2022, there were 278 documented cases of gastric cancer. 

People who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day – defined as 8oz or 237ml – were 2.4 times more likely to develop gastric cancer compared to those who never drank the beverages after adjusting for other risk factors. 

While the risk was elevated for both men and women, women were at a three-fold greater risk while men were twice as likely to develop the disease. Men are typically more prone to stomach cancer, so the cause of the discrepancy is unclear. 

Researchers are still identifying exactly why sugar-sweetened beverages may raise this risk, and are exploring multiple areas. 

‘Several underlying mechanisms have been proposed, including weight gain, insulin resistance, steroid hormone imbalance, inflammation, DNA damage and dysbiosis [a gut microbiome imbalance],’ they wrote.

‘However, the precise mechanism of carcinogenic effects of sugar-sweetened beverages has yet to be investigated. Future studies are warranted to confirm these findings as well as to investigate the potential biological mechanisms involved.’ 

In a tragic incident in Samburu County, Kenya, a helicopter crash claimed the lives of seven individuals, including five American citizens. This unfortunate event was confirmed by local authorities and the U.S. State Department on Wednesday.

Among the deceased are Roger Edward Duarte, Adam Martin Hlavaty, Henry Parra, Jose Alberto Suarez, Stephany Maria Hollihan Vasconez, and Michele Sensi Contugi, alongside Kenyan pilot Josh Outram. These details were provided by the police commander of the region, corroborated by a statement to ABC News.

The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry revealed that Michele Sensi Contugi served as Ecuador’s national intelligence chief. He was traveling with his wife, Hollihan Vasconez, highlighting the personal loss felt internationally.

Jose Alberto Suarez held a prominent position as the president and general manager of several Telemundo stations, as reported by NBC. His untimely demise is particularly felt within the media industry.

Addressing the tragedy, a representative from the U.S. Embassy stated, “The U.S. Embassy is in touch with local authorities and is providing consular assistance.” The spokesperson extended “deepest condolences to the families and loved ones” affected by this devastating loss.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said that seven people were aboard a helicopter that crashed near Lolokwe Mountain in Samburu County, in northern Kenya.

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying from Loisaba to Ewaso Nyiro with “7 souls on board” when the accident occurred at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time, according to the KCAA.

The authority extended its “deepest condolences to the families of the victims following the tragic accident.”

The U.S. Embassy confirmed five of those who died in the crash were Americans, after initially saying four Americans died.

The Kenya Red Cross said in a social media post that a multi-agency “search and recovery” operation was underway, although efforts were being hampered by difficult terrain and an active fire at the crash site.

The helicopter company Lady Lori released a statement on the accident, saying the cause of the crash remains under investigation.