What to know about a surrogacy dispute between a California couple, their surrogate and Texas courts
- A California couple and their surrogate are in a legal dispute over a newborn boy born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a serious congenital heart defect.
- The surrogate, McKenna West, gave birth in Texas after traveling from Alaska, and she said the couple wanted to end the pregnancy after the diagnosis.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened, and a Dallas judge ordered hospitals to provide life-sustaining care and keep the baby in Texas until at least a late-August hearing.
- The couple says the surrogate violated their contract, while the surrogate’s supporters, including an anti-abortion group and conservative legal advocates, have backed her custody petition.
- Surrogacy law in the U.S. is set by states rather than federally, and experts said outcomes can vary widely depending on the contract and the state involved.
A legal fight has emerged over a newborn boy born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after a California couple and their surrogate disagreed about how to handle the pregnancy following the diagnosis. The surrogate, McKenna West, flew from Alaska to Texas to give birth, and the couple says she broke their surrogacy agreement.
The case drew wider attention after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened and a Dallas judge ordered two hospitals to provide life-sustaining care and keep the baby in Texas until a hearing later in August. The couple says they are with the child in Dallas while he receives medical care.
West sought custody in Dallas court before giving birth, supported by conservative legal advocates and an anti-abortion organization. Her supporters have referred to the child as Gabriel, while the couple has used the name Rumi in court filings.
The dispute highlights how surrogacy law in the United States varies by state and can leave room for conflicting interpretations. Experts quoted in the report said cases like this are uncommon, and that surrogacy contracts often determine how pregnancy decisions and custody questions are handled.
关于加州夫妇、代孕者与德州法院之间一场代孕争议的要点
一名患有左心发育不全综合征的新生儿，成为一场法律争议的中心：争议双方是一对加州夫妇和他们的代孕母亲，起因是诊断结果出来后，各方对妊娠处理方式出现分歧。代孕母亲麦肯纳·韦斯特从阿拉斯加前往得克萨斯州分娩，夫妇则称她违反了代孕协议。
在得州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿介入后，达拉斯一名法官命令两家医院为婴儿提供维持生命的治疗，并要求他至少在8月底听证会前留在得州。报道还说，夫妇目前在达拉斯，孩子正在接受医疗照护。
韦斯特在分娩前已向达拉斯法院申请争取监护权，并得到了保守派法律人士和一家反堕胎组织的支持。支持者称这名婴儿为“Gabriel”，而夫妇在法庭文件中使用的是“Rumi”。
这起案件也反映出美国代孕法律由各州分别规定，缺乏联邦统一框架，因此在合同解释和监护问题上可能出现不同结果。报道引用的专家表示，这类案件并不常见，代孕合同通常会对妊娠决定和相关权利作出具体安排。