All articles tagged with #abortion
A Texas-born baby with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is at the center of a multi-state surrogate custody fight. The surrogate, McKenna West, says her decision to carry the child isn’t political theater and emphasizes giving the infant a chance at life after a Norwood procedure, amid ongoing court battles across Alaska, California, and Texas over parental rights and the child’s medical care.
Heidi Overton, a physician and Trump aide, is nominated to head the FDA. Her involvement in Trump’s vaccine policy and loyalty to the White House have sparked opposition from Senate Republicans like Bill Cassidy and abortion-rights and MAHA advocates, threatening her confirmation. Critics say she lacks regulatory leadership experience, while supporters note her interagency policy work. If Cassidy blocks a committee vote, her path to Senate approval becomes unlikely.
A California couple and their Alaska-based surrogate are tangled in a Texas court battle over who should be the baby’s parents after the infant is born with a severe heart defect, with disputes over an abortion decision, life-saving medical care, and custody. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened to ensure treatment before later withdrawing, while California courts had already recognized the couple as the rightful parents; the case continues as the baby undergoes the Norwood procedure and crew of legal challenges regarding parental rights and medical decisions.
A Texas-born surrogate, McKenna West, refused to abort after the baby was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, filed countersuits seeking more than $100,000 for breach of their surrogacy agreement and emotional distress. West denies wrongdoing and seeks dismissal of the claims. The dispute has involved multiple states and drew emergency court action to ensure life-saving care for the newborn, Gabriel, who underwent heart surgery after birth; a Dallas County hearing is scheduled for Aug. 25.
Biological parents Nasheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed are suing surrogate McKenna West for more than $100,000, alleging she breached their agreement by refusing to terminate the pregnancy despite an abortion clause. West carried the fetus to term; the baby—born in Texas with hypoplastic left heart syndrome—has sparked a broader debate on surrogacy and parental rights, with West’s lawyers saying the surrogate has limited legal claim to the child.
An Alaska nurse serving as a surrogate for California biological parents has launched a GiveSendGo fundraiser to cover travel, living expenses, and ongoing legal battles after the couple allegedly asked her to terminate the pregnancy due to a severe heart condition. The dispute spans three states, with California courts recognizing the intended parents as the baby’s legal parents, while the surrogate vows to fight for custody and recuperate losses, a fight that has drawn over $66,000 in donations as of Friday.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed a law that removes gestational limits on abortion beyond 24 weeks, allowing doctors to perform later-term procedures based on medical judgment and providing greater protections for providers. The measure passed the House largely along party lines and drew backlash from conservatives and some Democrats who branded it extreme, while supporters say it expands patient access and prevents residents from needing to travel out of state.
A Los Angeles-based surrogate gave birth to a baby with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after the intended parents sought abortion over the fetal defect. The surrogate fled to Texas, where abortion is banned, and a court ordered lifesaving medical care for the infant while restricting the surrogate’s involvement, fueling a high-profile custody dispute that highlights surrogacy contracts and bodily autonomy.
The birth in Texas of a baby conceived via surrogacy, who has a life-threatening heart condition, has become a cross‑state legal and political battle after the surrogate opposed abortion and antiabortion activists funded travel and legal help to the family. A Texas court granted the intended parents control over medical decisions while barring the surrogate from presenting herself as the child’s parent, highlighting disputes over surrogacy contracts, parental rights, and how abortion debates intersect with family law across California, Texas, and Alaska.
A baby with a rare congenital heart condition was born amid a multistate legal dispute involving the child’s intended parents, the surrogate who carried him, and Texas’ attorney general, who asked a court to weigh in on medical decisions for the infant. The surrogate says she faced repeated pressure to abort, while the biological parents insist they want what’s best for the child; the case centers on surrogacy agreements and who has authority over the baby’s medical care across state lines.
A California couple’s surrogate, McKenna West, carried a fetus diagnosed with a life-threatening heart defect (hypoplastic left heart syndrome). After doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy, West refused and traveled from Alaska to Texas to give birth where abortion is restricted. The baby was born in Dallas, and a custody fight has emerged: the birth parents say West initially agreed to an abortion but later cut contact, while West’s lawyer says she chose to carry to term and now seeks custody. Texas officials intervened, with the attorney general and a Dallas judge ordering the infant to remain in Texas to receive life-saving treatment. The case underscores tensions around surrogacy contracts, abortion access, and cross-state legal battles over parental rights.
An Alaska-based surrogate carrying Gabriel, who has hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), refuses to abort despite the biological parents’ wishes. West will be recognized as the birth mother in Texas, where Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a petition to ensure life-saving care for the newborn and to keep Gabriel in Texas. A court granted the petition, ordering that upon live birth the child receive medically indicated stabilizing and life-sustaining care and prohibiting removal from the hospital or the state pending further orders. HLHS typically requires immediate surgery after birth, and Gabriel is due Sept. 2. The biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, want termination in California, with a Dallas County court hearing set for Aug. 25 as the case unfolds.
Gov. Maura Healey signed a law that removes the previous 24-week limit exceptions (lethal fetal diagnosis and maternal life) and puts abortion decisions in the hands of patients and doctors, expanding access within Massachusetts and reducing the need for out-of-state travel; opponents argue the measure goes too far, while supporters say it strengthens reproductive freedom.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed a sweeping law that removes gestational age limits on abortion, allowing late-term procedures up to birth with doctors’ discretion and taking effect in 90 days. The bill expands access to protect health in cases of maternal complications or fatal diagnoses and positions the state among a small group that have dropped limits; supporters say it safeguards women’s health, while opponents call it extreme.
Voters in Kansas rejected a ballot measure that would have required electing state Supreme Court justices, preserving the governor’s appointment system and upholding abortion-rights rulings the court has established since 2019.