Surrogate McKenna West Starts Fundraiser Amid Rising Disputes With Baby Gabriel's Biological Parents
After starting a legal dispute with baby Gabriel's biological parents, surrogate McKenna West is seeking online donations to continue the fight.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleA surrogate mother, McKenna West, has become the center of attention after her high-profile custody battle with the baby's parents. The issue began after she gave birth to the baby of a Californian couple despite their urges to terminate the pregnancy. Meanwhile, she has now started a legal fundraiser to cover the significant financial losses caused by her decision to give birth.
McKenna West requests public donations
McKenna West has started a fundraiser on GiveSendGo as she fights a legal battle with the baby's biological parents. Until now, she has raised more than USD 66,000. According to the campaign description, McKenna, who works as an Alakshan nurse, has sought money to cover her travel, living, and legal expenses. She needs help as she continues to fight for what she thinks is the best for the baby.
For those unaware, McKenna went to from Alaska to Texas to give birth to the baby. She had to take the difficult call after she disagreed with her baby's biological parents. They are a couple named Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. Everything started on a good note, with McKenna agreeing to carry the baby, which was due in early September 2026.
However, things turned difficult when the couple found out that the unborn child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). It is a serious but treatable heart condition during pregnancy. McKenna and her attorney say the biological parents of the baby requested her to terminate the pregnancy after the diagnosis.
Although she initially thought about the option, she later decided against it. Instead, she continued to carry the child to term. Meanwhile, Nausheen and Omar claim that they did not force McKenna to have an abortion. Instead, they acted within the conditions of the surrogacy agreement.
Now, McKenna's fundraiser claims that she has lost the financial support that she had during the pregnancy. Instead, her expenses have increased with the legal battle. The campaign also mentions that she has moved away from her home and took a break from nursing to prepare for the birth.
The 28-year-old has earlier stated that she chose to become a surrogate for many reasons, including finances. McKenna thought it would give her extra income for her family as they helped another couple have a baby. But what began as a straightforward surrogacy agreement has turned into a complicated legal dispute. In fact, it has now stretched to multiple states.
After the baby named Gabriel by McKenna and Rumi by his intended parents was born, the latter got temporary custody. Still, McKenna has continued to challenge the arrangement. At the same time, she has publicly announced that she will fight for custody of the baby. Her attorney, Lincoln Wilson, claims that Nausheen and Omar stopped giving financial support to McKenna after they began to discuss terminating the pregnancy. In Wilson's words
"Despite any compensation, [West] has gone through huge personal risk to herself to give birth to this baby and make sure that he gets medical care. But we think it's outrageous that the other side has sought to enforce the contract where they aren't even paying money to have it completed, and yet they want all the rights that the contract provides."
But the intended parents maintain that they are the baby's legal parents. They also pointed to the court filings that support their decision. In fact, Nausheen and Omar argued that every decision made during the pregnancy was made in line with their legally binding surrogacy contract. And McKenna also agreed to it when she conceived.
Since then, the conflict has become one of the most followed surrogacy cases in recent years. It has also prompted discussions about the situations when the biological parents and the surrogate disagree over something during the pregnancy.
What is the legal process ahead for McKenna West and the baby's biological parents?
For now, the California court has recognized Nausheen and Omar as the child's legal parents. But McKenna and her legal team intend to challenge the case. The case is also expected to move in multiple states, including Texas, where the baby was born, California, and Alaska.
Legal experts say that the future process will mostly focus on the enforceability of the surrogacy contract. The court might question if there were any provisions related to abortion, custody, or financial obligations. They can be upheld in different state laws.
Meanwhile, the newborn has been kept under specialized medical care. Since he was born with HLHS, he will need ongoing treatment and monitoring from specialists.
What do you think about McKenna West starting a fundraiser to support her finances during her legal battle?
Pic credits: McKenna West
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