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Newborn with heart condition at center of surrogacy legal fight has surgery
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Baby Rumi, born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), underwent a Norwood procedure, a complex heart surgery necessary for his condition, according to the biological parents' attorney.
- The surrogate, McKenna West, refused to terminate the pregnancy despite the parents' alleged pressure, leading to a multistate legal dispute involving Texas and Alaska courts.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, requesting a court order for lifesaving surgery, alleging the parents might refuse care, a claim the parents have denied, accusing Paxton of politicizing the case.
- The biological parents have expressed respect for West's decision against abortion and have made treatment plans in California, while West continues to pursue custody claims that the parents' attorney calls baseless.
- HLHS is a rare and serious congenital heart defect requiring multiple surgeries and lifelong care, with a high risk of disability or mortality, affecting about 925 babies annually in the U.S.
