Severely disabled mother wins visitation rights with triplets

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled Friday that a paraplegic woman who communicates by blinking has the right to see her 4-year-old triplets.

In a tentative 10-page ruling, Judge Frederick C. Shaller said that Abbie Dorn, 34, can see her daughter, Esti, and sons Reuvi and Yossi, for a five-day visit each year pending a trial in the acrimonious custody case. She also entitled to a monthly online Skype visit. A trial date has yet to be set.

“We are thrilled,” said Felicia Meyers, one of Dorn’s attorneys.

Although “there is no compelling evidence that the visitations by the children will have any benefit to Abby,” Shaller wrote, “…there is no compelling evidence that visitation with Abby will be detrimental to the children.”

Dorn was healthy until June 20, 2006, when she gave birth to the children at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. During delivery, a string of medical errors starved her brain of oxygen, and she is in a minimally conscious state, according to the neurologist who examined her during legal proceedings.

Abbie and Dan Dorn have since divorced. He has custody of the children and is raising them in the Los Angeles area. Dorn lives with her parents in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Her parents are also her conservators and sued Dan on her behalf, asking the court to order him to bring the children for regular visits.

Paul and Susan Cohen believe that their daughter desperately wants to see her children; Dan told Shaller during a hearing last week that he believes his ex-wife is in a “vegetative” state, that the children will get no benefit from seeing her.

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-- Maria L. La Ganga 

Photo: Abbie Dorn in January. Credit: Joe Falcone / Associated Press

Comments

[Sabrina]

I'm glad. She is the mother after all. The father is only thinking of himself, not the kids. Also, I think it's messed up that he divorced her instead of honoring the vows that say "in sickness and in health!"

[Mother]

Praise God!!!!
She was in my prayers So glad Mrs. Dorn will have her visitation rights to see her children!

Go Bless her and protect her from her ex-husbands attacks.

This almost happened to me when my ex left me and pure evil hearted.

[shadowpark]

What a schmuck this ex husband is!

[Katrina]

Five days a YEAR????? Seems a bit chintzy. However, it IS better than nothing. It's a shame her husband is such a jerk. Not allowing the children to see their mother, regardless of the state of her health, is cruel.

[Lizzie]

This must be such a great relief to her family. Abby has a right to see her children and vice versa. I cannot imagine the children will have much respect for their father when they figure out he tried to keep them away from their mother.

[MLA17]

I agree with Sabrina. I have been following this story and I'm very happy to hear that Abbie will get custody visits. There's no reason why her children should not know who their mother is or what condition she is in. They will know in spite of her condition, she's battled to see them because she loves them. I'm very thrilled with this outcome.

[Alexander Bernal]

Her husband is an evil monster! He should be shunned by decent society.

[suzanne]

This man is horrible. I can't believe he would try to stop his own children from seeing thier mother. She gave her life to bring those babies into the world; no one should take them away from her.

[Allie]

Are these people Orthodox Jews? What kind of scumbag divorces a woman who became disabled after giving birth to their children? Then she actually has to sue him in order to see her own children? That's messed up.

[TRUTH]

It terrifies me that humans hearts are waxing so cold. I thank God this lady has parents for a voice.

[California Homeowner]

I can't believe it took this long and has gone this far. What on earth is wrong with this "father" to do all of this? Pure scum.

[ellen]

i agree, this is a victory for the mother and her family.

[Sherie]

So happy for her and her family and the children. What kind of message is the father sending to these children. Your mother is disabled now so she's not worth having a relationship with. What is wrong with this guy? How pathetic that he would do this. The visits will not harm the children. This is their mother. This is their mother no matter what. She is disabled now, not a criminal or dangerous. The grandparents should also have the children in their lives. How sad that there are people like this man in the world.

[Aneriz]

I am happy for her and for her parents that have fought so hard in her behalf. I hope for a miracle in her life, never underestimate a mother's love.

[pau]

what a horrible man. after giving birth to his children and becoming disabled because of it -- he divorces her and won't let her see her own children? what type of human being is that? very very sad. i hope she is able to get more than 5 days of visitation - she did not do anything wrong and deserves to see her children.

[Dr Derrick Norbert Morris]

At first I thought the State of California had terminated her parental rights but after reading I learned her deliver of the triplet accident. This husband should be the one to travel to NC for visits. You would believe that he would understand the circumstances that caused her condition. Now if she had smoked or other drugas problems, I could have understood. the problems is why would people want to marry when illness can cause the divorce. I hope he did not collect her settlement or judgment. This world is too evil

[Mom of three]

Unfortunately, the wedding vows and the divorce laws of California are mutually exclusive. She might not have qualified for disability assistance had they remained married. The article does not go into the details of why he filed for divorce or the grounds upon which it was granted. Perhaps her family filed for divorce on her behalf to protect her estate from being sucked dry by him. We cannot assume anything about this since nothing was told to us.

I agree though that essentially denying to the children that their mother exists is morally reprehensible. At some point, the grandparents may decide to file for custody under laws that now promote that as an option in divorces.

[california love]

He better not re-marry another woman. What kind of a person leaves their significant other at such a critical time? The mother and her family should get full custody of the kids. Who know what the father will do later.

[momof3]

So happy to hear this news. She is the mom, and they are her children. Whether she is mentally a vegetable, there will always be a heart and spiritual bond between a mother and child. I think it will benefit both tremendously. I feel sad for Mr. Cohen. Maybe one day he will understand that his children should know who their mother is and the sacrifice she gave so that they could live.

[ceaandtee]

i am glad she won. she had a right to see her children. since he is the ex husband, i believe he was being vindictive. he should be ashamed of himself.

[Pawtucket]

This sounds like a Terri Schiavo remake. Like Terri, Abbie Dorn is a severely disabled woman whose parents are unwilling to accept the tragic, tragic fact that their daughter is never coming back. In their delusion that Abbie might be conscious and aware, they are forcing her former husband to spend tens of thousands of dollars on legal fees trying to shield his kids from their grandparents' fantasy. Be assured, this has nothing to do with Abbie or her children. It is all about the grandparents and their war with reality. If Abbie ever sits up, looks around, and asks, “Where are the kids?,” she should get to see them whenever she wants. Until that happens, the grandparents should not be able to force a father to expose his kids to what he rightly believes are harmful encounters.

[Lex]

@ Sabrina

She may be the mother but she's brain dead. The father is not thinking of himself let alone only himself. If he was then he could care less if the kids visited the mother.

He's also not fighting visitation, just visitation on the grandparents terms, which is as it should be as they should have no say regarding the terms of visitation since they have no custodial rights.

The father also didn't divorce her until 1 year later when it became apparent that she was never going to come out of her vegetative state. Her condition is far more similar to death than it is to mere sickness.

[MariMars]

In these times that vows are considered light promises that last about an hour (I personally think vows should be memorized, not fed from the officiator) I can maybe understand why the father left; he couldn't take the responsibility of take care of a newly disabled wife and two newborns. Nevertheless, how can this so called man go from loving his wife, who was carrying two of his children, suddenly want to abandon her entirely and steal away two of the biggest reasons she now lives for. The depths of a low-life continue to astound me.
I believe miracles can happen. Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is recovering remarkably despite her wounds and I pray that Abbie can recovery to a degree that will help her fight on.

[apcazul]

I'm sad for those kids who, in a few years, will understand the position their father took in court with respect to their mother. I'm sure he had his reasons for the divorce, but to actually argue against a mother being allowed to spend time with her children is a little shocking and very difficult to justify.

[kelly]

Congrats Abby - those are your children, and you have every right to be in their lives. This is a blessing in disguise for the father - because those children would eventually resent him for keeping them from their mother - disabled or not.