The U.S. Supreme Court declines to intervene in a custody dispute tied to a newborn’s serious heart condition. NBC News, Fox News, The New York Times, and The Guardian all report that the court rejects an emergency request that sought to block a lower-court order recognizing the biological parents’ legal status.
The case involves a surrogate, identified by outlets as McKenna West, who is engaged in a multistate legal fight with California parents over custody. Reported facts include that the fetus is diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect, and that the biological parents at one point request an abortion. The surrogate refuses the abortion and instead seeks Supreme Court relief to halt enforcement of the custody order.
Outlets emphasize different context. Fox frames the dispute around the surrogate fleeing to Texas to avoid an abortion. The New York Times and The Guardian focus on the surrogate’s request to stop a court order recognizing the California couple as legal parents. NBC highlights the court’s decision not to take up the matter.
