U.S. Supreme Court rules against surrogate in Dallas custody case

Key Points:

• The U.S. Supreme Court, through Justice Elena Kagan, declined to intervene in a custody dispute involving a California couple and surrogate McKenna West over a child born in Texas with a serious heart condition.
• The couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, had requested West to terminate the pregnancy after the fetus was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, but West refused and sought custody in Texas, where abortion is banned.
• Both California and Texas courts have ruled in favor of the couple, allowing them to maintain custody and make medical decisions for the child, named Rumi, who was born in Dallas on August 12.
• Rumi’s doctors and court-appointed attorney support the parents’ decisions regarding his treatment, and the Texas Supreme Court has allowed the child to be taken back to California for care.
• West’s attorney expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene but emphasized that her fight has led the parents to publicly commit to life-saving care, disputing claims that only the parents are responsible for medical decisions.