Baby with heart defect at center of surrogate dispute receives first surgery
The baby was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which requires a series of surgeries. The parents had asked the surrogate to get an abortion when they learned of the diagnosis.
Updated on: August 17, 2026 / 7:05 PM EDT / CBS News
A baby born with a rare heart defect who is at the center of a dispute between a surrogate and the parents underwent the first in a series of surgeries, a lawyer representing the child's parents said Monday.
Lee Budner, the attorney for parents Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar, said the baby's medical team determined Friday, "after thorough examination and imaging, that Rumi was eligible for a Norwood procedure, a complex palliative heart surgery that is the first of a series of three surgeries that are required within the first several years of life for babies born with HLHS."
The procedure was performed Monday morning, Budner said, and "Rumi is now recuperating under the loving care of his parents and his heroic team of doctors, nurses, and medical staff."
"This is the last update on Rumi's health that his family intends to share. His condition remains critical and complex, and his family seeks privacy in caring for their son on his long road to recovery," Budner added.