Surrogate who refused abortion over heart defect takes custody battle to US Supreme Court

Key Points:

• A surrogate, West, who refused to abort a fetus with a severe heart defect despite the parents' request, has asked the US Supreme Court to resolve a custody dispute over the baby.
• After learning of the heart defect at 20 weeks, the parents, Ahmed and Gilkar, requested an abortion, but West traveled to Texas, where abortions are largely illegal, and gave birth to the child with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
• West seeks custody, fearing the biological parents would not provide necessary medical care, while the parents claim the baby is their child and accuse West of blocking access to medical information.
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened to ensure the baby received medical care in Texas, resulting in surgery shortly after birth, while courts in California and Texas have issued conflicting rulings on custody and visitation.
• West's lawyers warn that without Supreme Court intervention, she may lose access to the child’s medical information, and they allege the parents might consider hospice care for the critically ill baby.