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A surrogate mother gave birth to a baby against its biological parents’ wishes after fleeing to Texas with help from state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Surrogate mother McKenna West fled to Texas after her baby was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome around the time West was 20 weeks pregnant. The diagnosis allegedly prompted the baby’s birth parents to ask West to have an abortion, Paxton’s office wrote in a Tuesday news release.
After West went on the run to Texas, Paxton intervened, formally notifying UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of their legal obligations to provide the baby with “medically necessary, life-saving care upon birth,” his office wrote.
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July 29, 2015: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a hearing in Austin, Texas. ( )
“The court has made the right decision in immediately acting to protect baby Gabriel’s life and ensure he receives the care he deserves,” Paxton said in the statement. “My office utilized every tool at our disposal to protect life, and we will not back down in continuing to support baby Gabriel’s well-being. Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for.”
“While the surrogate mother of baby Gabriel has traveled to Texas for protection and care for Gabriel, the intended parents have refused to agree that they will consent to the life-saving surgery for Gabriel after he is born. Attorney General Paxton has now secured a legal victory that will ensure baby Gabriel’s life is protected and that care is provided,” his office’s statement also read.
West’s baby, named Gabriel, was born on Wednesday, according to ‘ Kerri Urbahn. Gabriel was brought to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where doctors could soon perform lifesaving surgery.
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Surrogate mother McKenna West, who fled to Texas after her baby’s birth parents allegedly asked her to abort the child (Live Action)
The hospital where the surgery would likely be performed has a 100% success rate on the procedure, Urbahn reported.
“Baby Gabriel deserves a chance at life, and I will not allow anyone to unlawfully deny him medically necessary care,” Paxton said. “My office will use every tool available to protect innocent lives and ensure that every child receives the care required under Texas law.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton arrives for the State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Digital contacted Paxton’s office, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas for additional comment.
