We have a sad update to bring you.
Baby Gabriel, the newborn baby whose surrogate mother saved him from an abortion despite his biological parents’ demands, is now in critical condition.
Surrogate McKenna West's baby in critical condition after heart surgery https://t.co/xNvWC4Tobj pic.twitter.com/QMHmQE7hNA
— New York Post (@nypost) August 25, 2026
Baby Gabriel, who was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in the womb, was born two weeks ago in a Texas hospital with a high success rate in performing the operation he needs to survive.
However, according to his biological parents, the baby’s health took a bad turn after the heart surgery.
TMZ reports:
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, the biological parents who are battling McKenna over custody of the boy, claim the newborn they call “Rumi” underwent a complex open-heart surgery called the Norwood Procedure.
ADVERTISEMENTThey say in the last 24 hours, “Serious medical developments have arisen that impact the health and safety of the child. The child is in critical condition and being closely monitored at the hospital.” The parents claim the child appears to be “suffering from potential complications from the Norwood, and last night, the child’s condition declined significantly, requiring re-intubation.”
Because of this, the couple is asking the court to re-schedule an upcoming hearing on the temporary restraining order they took out against McKenna West, the child’s surrogate mother who is fighting them for custody.
Life News has more on the custody battle:
McKenna West, a 28-year-old cardiac nurse from Alaska, agreed to serve as a surrogate for California couple Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed. In April, when she was 20 weeks pregnant, a routine ultrasound showed the baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital condition in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.
The couple ordered her to kill Gabriel in an abortion. West refused.
“No woman should be forced to kill the baby inside her. Most importantly, every child deserves a chance to live,” West wrote.
As a cardiac nurse, she knew the child “had a great shot at survival if given the opportunity to receive the necessary treatment.”
“To treat a baby with HLHS, surgeons perform a staged repair, beginning with the Norwood procedure shortly after birth, followed by two more surgeries. This medical treatment gives children a high chance of going on to live full lives,” she explained.
After West declined to endhis life, the couple cut off payments and their lawyers threatened six-figure penalties. They later sued her in Alaska seeking at least $100,000.
“The threats eventually became real,” West wrote. “But no threat or amount of money could sway my conviction that this baby had a real chance at a full life, and I could not participate in killing him and depriving him of that opportunity.”
ADVERTISEMENTWest moved with her two children to Texas and chose a hospital with a 100 percent survival rate for the Norwood procedure. She gave birth on August 12 and named the boy Gabriel. The biological parents call him Rumi.
The infant underwent the Norwood procedure earlier this week.
“I’m eternally grateful that the Texas family court and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ordered that the baby boy I carried must receive the necessary surgery,” West wrote.
West has said her fight centers on ensuring the child receives the care he needs.
“This is about giving an innocent child a shot at the life he deserves,” she wrote. “I’m not fighting to try to take someone else’s baby. I’m fighting because this baby boy needs someone willing to advocate for and fight alongside him as he gets the ongoing treatment his fragile heart requires.”
“Every life matters. No woman should be forced to end the life of the baby she is carrying — including me … Baby Gabriel should receive a chance at life,” West declared.
Baby Gabriel needs our prayers more now than ever before.
The Lord has saved this child’s life once before, and he can do it again.
Please say a prayer for this precious baby boy — and be sure to share this article with your friends and family to spread the call for prayers around.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
