A surrogate mother fought tooth and nail to save the baby she was carrying from abortion due to a dangerous but treatable medical condition. The Elitist Media mostly whiffed on the story, and the outlet that did cast pro-lifers in a weird frame.
Watch the report in its entirety, as aired on the CBS Evening News on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026:
WATCH: @CBSEveningNews is the sole broadcast nightly newscast to cover the Texas surrogate story. Weird frame of @LiveAction as an "anti-abortion rights organization"
TONY DOKOUPIL: Meanwhile, to Texas now, and a battle over the future of a baby born with a serious heart… pic.twitter.com/Jb93hvkq5Q— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) August 13, 2026
TONY DOKOUPIL: Meanwhile, to Texas now, and a battle over the future of a baby born with a serious heart condition. The California parents of the child wanted to end the pregnancy months ago when they learned of the condition, but their surrogate refused and then went to Texas, where the state has now stepped in. Jason Allen reports.
JASON ALLEN: Alaskan nurse McKenna West has turned to doctors in Texas to try to save the newborn child she carried for a California couple.
McKENNA WEST: It was scary to think that something might be wrong and that I may be the one that's not able to make a decision about the treatment.
ALLEN: West spoke about the unusual surrogacy situation with Live Action, an anti-abortion rights organization. Her pregnancy was on track for 20 weeks until doctors diagnosed a rare and severe heart defect in the baby, who she’s calling Gabriel. After learning of the defect, West says the parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, asked her to schedule an abortion. “Parents with medical prerogative” is something experts say is a common clause in surrogacy contracts. Instead, West decided to find treatment in Dallas for the child after birth. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stepped in to ensure it this week, securing an emergency order to make sure doctors provide life-saving care.
LINCOLN WILSON: My understanding is that the arrangements are being made for him to receive that surgery.
ALLEN: Courts in Alaska, California and Texas are considering the case. But for now, Texas law governs the welfare of the child according to professor Rachel Rebouche.
RACHEL REBOUCHE: It's a complicated situation where we are looking at intended parents who ultimately and probably will be the parents, but because of Texas intervention, will not necessarily get to make this decision about what happens immediately after birth.
ALLEN: CBS News has reached out to the parents in California and their attorneys, but we have not heard back. The agency that connected the intended parents and the surrogate told us they support the rights of both parties. Typically, a child with a severe defect needs the first of a series of three surgeries, Tony, within two weeks after they’re born.
DOKOUPIL: Very complicated story. Jason, thank you very much.
CBS reported the story mostly down-the-middle, except for the weird framing of Live Action as an “anti-abortion rights group.” And although that characterization might be perceived as a badge of honor, there is much more that the organization does. It’s pretty clear that the Elitist Media haven’t gotten over Dobbs.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s role in this story was downplayed, as was the scope of the order he secured prior to the baby being born. Per The New York Post:
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a petition that urges doctors to give Gabriel “life saving” care when he is born and stop him from being taken out of the state.
A court granted the petition Tuesday and it states, “Upon the child’s live birth, medically indicated stabilizing and life-sustaining care shall be provided to the child pending further order of this Court.
“No person shall withhold, direct the withholding of, obstruct, or delay that care.
“Upon the child’s live birth and pending further order of this Court, no person shall: remove the child from the [hospital where he’s treated], [and] remove the child from the state of Texas.”
Paxton stepped in and leveraged Texas law in order to help this brave surrogate save this baby’s life. The kid would’ve been done for just about anywhere else, especially in California. Instead, he has a shot at life.
The other networks had no time for this story. ABC covered former CEO Bob Iger and a Kushner brother buying the L.A. Lakers. NBC reported Travis Kelce saying that his wedding was the best night of his life, and the Chicago White Sox giving fans a Pope-Leo-inspired mitre. Serious stuff, indeed.
Credit to the brave mother who stepped in the breach for the baby, and to CBS for covering a very inconvenient story.
