Surrogate who refused abortion over heart defect takes custody battle to US Supreme Court
A surrogate mother has appealed to the US Supreme Court to retain custody of a child she birthed after the intended parents requested an abortion due to a heart defect. The case centers on parental rights and the surrogate's concerns regarding the child's future medical care.
Why it matters
The case touches on complex legal intersections of surrogacy contracts, reproductive rights, and state-level intervention in medical decisions.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, McKenna West, the surrogate, has pushed for custody over the child after giving birth against the couple's wishes
A surrogate who refused an abortion request from the parents who hired her to have their baby has asked the US Supreme Court to intervene in the dispute over who should have custody of the baby.
McKenna West filed an emergency appeal asking the court to halt a previous ruling granting parental rights to California couple Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar.
Ahmed and Gilkar had asked West to abort the pregnancy after a scan at 20 weeks showed the foetus had a severe heart defect.
Instead, West - who has been supported by several Republican officials - travelled to Texas where nearly all abortions are illegal and gave birth to the child.
The BBC has contacted lawyers for Ahmed and Gilkar for comment.
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