Biological parents speak out as surrogate baby undergoes emergency heart surgery

The biological parents at the centre of an intense multi-state surrogacy battle have spoken out in court, breaking down in tears as they described the severe medical condition of their critically ill newborn son.

Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, a couple from California, appeared before a Dallas court on Tuesday to address their high-profile dispute with surrogate McKenna West.

The couple explained that after enduring eight failed rounds of IVF and Gilkar undergoing a hysterectomy, surrogacy was their final path to having a child.

"This was our only option," Gilkar said through tears during the hearing. "We've never wanted anything more than this baby."

The pregnancy took a devastating turn when the unborn child was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart defect.

According to court filings, West, a 28-year-old nurse from Alaska, refused to undergo an amniocentesis procedure that medical teams required to properly assess the baby's viability and plan potential surgical interventions.

The couple insisted that they 'wanted the child more than anything' (WFAA/Youtube)

Under the terms of their original surrogacy agreement, West had agreed to terminate the pregnancy in the event of severe fetal abnormalities.

When Gilkar and Ahmed formally requested a termination due to the grave medical risks, West refused and fled to Texas—where strict abortion bans are in place—securing legal and financial backing from conservative groups including the Alliance Defending Freedom.

West gave birth on August 12 to a baby boy, whom his biological parents have named Rumi. Since his delivery, the infant has faced critical health complications and was recently resuscitated following an emergency in the hospital.

"When they tried to give him medicine, the tube came out and he stopped breathing and chaplain was called," Gilkar told the court. "He's suffering a lot."

The baby has since undergone genetic testing, echocardiograms, and a complex two-day open-heart surgery—a procedure doctors noted was delayed due to the lack of prenatal amniocentesis testing. He remains in critical condition under intensive care.

The surrogate mother in the case, McKenna West, has applied for custody of the child (WFAA/Youtube)

Despite the harrowing circumstances, the biological parents emphasized that they are fully dedicated to caring for their son, with Gilkar describing him as "the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

The legal battle remains fiercely contested. A California court previously recognized Gilkar and Ahmed as Rumi’s sole legal parents and issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting West from contacting the infant.

Meanwhile, West is seeking full custody and suing the couple for breach of contract after they halted her surrogate compensation.

"I knew that he deserved to be protected and that he deserved a chance," West argued in a recent interview.

Dallas County Judge Ashley Wysocki has extended the restraining order against West for 14 days while the court considers the competing custody claims.