McKenna West Surrogacy Fund Nears $80K as Friend Details Financial Burden

Surrogate McKenna West's online fundraiser is closing in on $80,000 in donations, as the surrogate continues her legal fight following the birth of the baby at the center of a bitter surrogacy dispute.

West's self-described friend -- Ellen Fisher -- launched the GiveSendGo campaign to help the single mom with legal fees, travel, living expenses and costs associated with caring for her two children. The fundraiser is approaching the $80,000 mark with a goal of $100K.

In the fundraiser, Ellen gives her account of how West allegedly found herself in a financial and legal bind after doctors discovered the baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or HLHS ... claiming West was told to schedule an abortion after the diagnosis and was "terrified," believing she could face financial consequences and potentially a lawsuit if she refused.

As you know, West ultimately decided she couldn't go through with the termination and gave birth to Baby Gabriel in Texas last week. Ellen says West's brother then assured her she wasn't alone and offered to help, even saying the family would adopt the baby if necessary.

The fundraiser claims West subsequently connected with attorneys who agreed to help her and traveled to Texas ... where the case eventually became a multi-state legal battle over the pregnancy and, later, the newborn.

West's attorney -- Lincoln Wilson -- has separately claimed the biological parents stopped providing financial support after asking her to terminate the pregnancy. The couple disputes West's account and has maintained that she initially agreed to terminate before changing her mind.

The campaign claims West has lost expected surrogacy payments and could potentially be responsible for reimbursing expenses connected to the surrogacy ... mentioning how she's relocated away from home, taken time away from work, and continued covering expenses for her children -- writing, "She should not have to carry all of this alone."

West's situation has attracted national attention as courts grapple with competing claims involving the surrogacy agreement, medical decision-making and parental rights. The intended parents have disputed West's allegations, while West continues to fight through her attorneys.