A surrogate mother seeking to get life-saving healthcare for the unborn baby she is carrying won a key court victory late Tuesday, in a high-profile legal battle that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined.
McKenna West, an Alaska resident and surrogate mother, traveled to Texas to prepare to get treatment for the unborn baby’s heart defect upon his birth, even though a California couple, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, who are the intended parents of the unborn child, allegedly asked West to abort the baby. Gilkar and Ahmed tried to have West deliver the baby in the Golden State, but refused to agree to allow the baby to receive life-saving treatment for his heart condition after birth.
Paxton filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit initiated by West in Texas court earlier this week, hoping to prevent the baby, referred to by Paxton and other activists as “baby Gabriel,” from being moved out of the state or denied life-saving care. A Dallas County judge granted that request while the case continues to proceed in an order on Tuesday.
“Upon the child’s live birth, medically indicated stabilizing and life-sustaining care shall be provided to the child pending further order of this Court. No person shall withhold, direct the withholding of, obstruct, or delay that care,” the Dallas County court’s order said.
“Upon the child’s live birth and pending further order of this Court, no person shall: remove the child from the University of Texas Southwestern [Medical Center] and/or Medical Center and the Children’s [Medical Center Dallas], [or] remove the child from the state of Texas,” the order continued.
The judge in the case additionally ordered a hearing on the case for Aug. 25. West previously told Live Action News that the baby she is carrying is due to be born on Sept. 2.
Paxton celebrated the ruling by praising the Texas court for defending the soon-to-be-born baby’s access to life-saving healthcare.
“The court has made the right decision in immediately acting to protect baby Gabriel’s life and ensure he receives the care he deserves,” Paxton said in a statement.
PAXTON STEPS INTO HIGH-PROFILE LEGAL BATTLE BETWEEN SURROGATE AND PARENTS OVER UNBORN BABY
“My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being. Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for,” he added.
Paxton, a Republican, waded into the legal fight over baby Gabriel ahead of a hotly contested race for Senate in the Lone Star State between himself and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. The Senate race in Texas has been rated as “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report.