Texas Judge Leaves Custody Order Intact for 1 Critically Ill Newborn After Aug. 17 Heart Surgery
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 26
Texas Judge Leaves Custody Order Intact for 1 Critically Ill Newborn After Aug. 17 Heart Surgery
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 26
Summary
Dallas family court on Tuesday kept a temporary order giving intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed custody of the newborn, while delaying any broader ruling on conservatorship or medical control.
Court filings said the baby was re-intubated after his condition worsened overnight following an Aug. 17 Norwood procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, leaving him in critical condition under close hospital monitoring.
McKenna West, the surrogate and an Alaska cardiac nurse, is seeking sole conservatorship so she can make medical decisions, though she told the judge she would drop that request if the parents remain committed to life-saving care.
The fight stems from the 20-week diagnosis of the baby's severe heart defect: West says the California couple asked her to terminate the pregnancy, while their lawyer disputes key parts of that account and says they consented to surgery.
The custody case sits inside a wider legal clash, with the parents seeking more than $100,000 over alleged breaches of the surrogacy agreement after paying West $60,000 during the pregnancy.