A Texas court has ruled that a medically fragile infant with a severe heart defect can be moved to Los Angeles, overriding a surrogate’s attempt to prevent the biological parents from relocating the child. The decision follows a California court’s earlier recognition of the parents’ custody rights, with the Texas justices emphasizing the baby’s urgent medical needs as the top priority. The surrogate had sought to block the transfer, arguing against the parents’ plans to take the child to a specialized hospital in California. The ruling marks the latest development in a contentious legal battle over custody and medical care for the infant.
Ruling latest step in legal fight over medically fragile child born after surrogate rejected couple’s request for abortionThe Texas supreme court has decided that the month-old infant that surrogate McKenna West gave birth to can be relocated to Los Angeles, a Thursday ruling that came weeks after a California court had recognized the biological parents’ custody rights.“Sustaining the life of the medically fragile child is the paramount concern in this time-sensitive matter,” the court wrote in a Thursday order, referring to the baby’s rare severe heart defect. West had attempted to block the biological parents from removing the child from Texas and taking him to a hospital in Los Angeles where the couple live. Continue reading...
