UPDATE: Baby Gabriel Born in Texas After AG Ken Paxton Intervened to Save His Life | JP
Yesterday, we brought you the absolutely insane story of a surrogate mother who has been fighting to save the life of her unborn baby boy.
McKenna West from Alaska was chosen to be a surrogate for a couple in California.
However, after the child was found to have a serious but treatable heart condition, the biological parents ordered West to abort him.
She refused and ended up fleeing to Texas, where Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened to ensure the child, known as Baby Gabriel, will have a shot at life.
If you missed it, here’s our original report on that,
Texas AG Ken Paxton INTERVENES to Save Unborn Surrogate Baby’s Life
Ken Paxton’s timing could not have been better.
Just one day after AG Paxton secured an emergency order to protect this precious child’s life, Baby Gabriel was born in Texas.
He is now in the NICU awaiting life-saving heart surgery at a hospital with a perfect success rate for his condition.
Fox News shared the latest update:
A surrogate mother defied the biological parents’ order to abort a baby diagnosed with a severe heart defect.
The woman, McKenna West, has now given birth to the baby, Gabriel.@Kerri_Kupec says baby Gabriel is in a Texas NICU, where doctors could soon perform potentially… pic.twitter.com/wFyGkXByRH
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 13, 2026
A surrogate mother defied the biological parents’ order to abort a baby diagnosed with a severe heart defect.
The woman, McKenna West, has now given birth to the baby, Gabriel.
@Kerri_Kupec says baby Gabriel is in a Texas NICU, where doctors could soon perform potentially life-saving surgery.
According to Urbahn, the hospital has a 100% success rate performing the procedure on babies born with this heart defect.
West fled to Texas, where AG Ken Paxton intervened — securing an emergency court order to ensure baby Gabriel receives the care he needs.
Now that baby Gabriel is born, the legal fight could shift to custody, parental rights and who decides on his treatment.
This is a wonderful update.
However, it comes with a tragic twist.
Despite having given birth to Gabriel, McKenna West has been denied the right to have contact with her newborn son by a separate court order.
It’s unclear who will end up having custody of the baby after he receives treatment, and more legal challenges are expected to follow.
The New York Times reported further:
On Wednesday, amid overlapping legal actions in the three states, Ms. West gave birth to a boy in Dallas whom activists have called “Baby Gabriel.” His legal parents, Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, chose a different name.
“As if the heartbreak of his condition were not enough, they are devastated to see their family tragedy transformed into political theater by the Texas Attorney General’s office and McKenna West,” said a lawyer for the parents, Lee Budner, in a statement.
Mr. Budner said the boy was “now receiving medical care provided by a team of pediatric experts,” adding that the parents “would place their baby’s health and well-being first, following the advice of the baby’s medical team.”
Ms. West is seeking custody of the child.
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The birth came just days after Mr. Paxton’s legal intervention on Monday. Mr. Paxton, a Republican locked in a tough race for the U.S. Senate, argued in Dallas County court that the parents were required to provide lifesaving care under Texas law.
“My office will use every tool available to protect innocent lives,” Mr. Paxton said in a statement.
The move sharply increased attention on what had already been a cause célèbre in anti-abortion circles this summer.
By Tuesday, Mr. Paxton celebrated having secured a temporary restraining order, or T.R.O., in Dallas that prevents the parents from removing the child from Texas until a hearing in late August. The order also requires them to provide “medically indicated, lifesaving treatment” to the baby.
At the same time, the Dallas County court also issued another restraining order against Ms. West. The order bars Ms. West from presenting herself as the baby’s parent, guardian or medical-decision maker “to anyone.”
“Unfortunately, because of the Texas T.R.O. that was entered yesterday, McKenna didn’t get to see or hold him after he was born,” Lincoln Wilson, a lawyer for Ms. West, said in an interview.
Prior to giving birth to Gabriel, McKenna West gave an exclusive interview to Live Action, where she shared her side of the story.
You can watch that full interview here:
Please keep McKenna West and Baby Gabriel in your prayers.