AI-generated with Grok
A story that unfolded in Texas last month exposes the deep moral problems at the heart of the commercial surrogacy industry — and it deserves the attention of every pro-life American.
McKenna West is a single mother and nurse from Alaska who agreed to be a surrogate for a California couple as a way to make extra income for her family. Her pregnancy progressed without complication until a twenty-week ultrasound revealed that the baby boy was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a serious but treatable congenital heart condition. The intended parents' response? Allegedly, they demanded West abort the baby. When she refused, the couple sought to force her to relocate to California for the birth. She agreed, but only on the condition that he receive the necessary surgeries upon delivery. When the intended parents refused to consent, West fled to Texas, where she believed pro-life laws would protect the child.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened within hours, formally notifying both UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center that Texas law requires them to provide medically necessary care to any newborn regardless of a surrogacy contract. A Texas judge issued an emergency order requiring this life-saving treatment upon birth and barring his removal from the state. The baby was born and immediately sent to neonatal intensive care to await the first of his surgeries.
To be clear, the intended parents have denied some of West’s allegations, and I’m sure this story will take more twists and turns before this broadcast even airs. But this case illustrates very clearly what critics of commercial surrogacy have warned about for years. When a child is created through a contract, that contract can include a clause demanding the child's death if he or she is deemed imperfect. A surrogacy agreement is not a rental agreement — it is an arrangement that can treat a human life as a product with a return policy. Babies deserve to live, not be contracted as commodities.
This story reveals the grave moral implications around commercialized surrogacy. Legislators everywhere ought to take a serious look their laws. We can assume this case will likely influence surrogacy legislation in Texas in the next session. The rest of the country should be paying attention.
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