A Texas judge stepped in to save an unborn surrogate child whose intended parents tried to abort him or deny him a life-saving surgery if born.
Tuesday’s ruling comes after McKenna West, a surrogate mother from Alaska, fled to Texas to save Baby Gabriel when the intended parents attempted to force her to abort their son due to his serious but treatable heart condition.
West refused to end the child’s life and offered to adopt Baby Gabriel, but the parents disagreed.
“Every life matters,” West said in a statement. “No woman should be forced to end the life of the baby she is carrying—including me.”
She then traveled to Texas, where the unborn child would be recognized as a person and where she could give birth near experienced doctors who treat children with serious heart conditions.
The parents then stated that if he is born, they would not consent to give Baby Gabriel the life-saving surgery he needs, and they may attempt to transport him out of Texas to prevent treatment.
That raised an urgent question: What happens if Baby Gabriel is born in Texas and needs immediate surgery to survive, but the adults claiming authority over him refuse the procedure and leave him to die?
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office asked a Dallas County judge to address that question before the baby is born.
Praise God: The court agreed to protect Baby Gabriel, ordering life-saving care upon birth and blocking him from being removed from Texas except when medically necessary.
This case exposes big problems with surrogacy: a woman is treated as a reproductive contractor and a child is treated as a product for sale.
Texas should ensure that every baby—including children conceived through surrogacy—is protected from medical neglect and discrimination.
Texas Right to Life is grateful to the attorney general’s team for saving Baby Gabriel and affirming a basic principle: A child’s life is worth more than a contract.
Baby Gabriel’s dignity does not depend on whether he is healthy, wanted, or convenient. He deserves the opportunity to be born, treated, loved, and given the chance to grow up.
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