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Paraplegic Mom Abbie Dorn Can Visit Kids, Says Judge
Abbie Dorn, a 34-year-old paraplegic mother, has been granted visitation rights with her 4-year-old triplets, reports ABC News. The decision comes after Dorn's mother and ex-husband battled over her rights in court.
Abbie, who is cared for by her parents in Myrtle Beach, SC, was paralyzed while giving birth to the triplets in 2006. Perfectly healthy when she went into labor at Cedars-Sinai, a medical error caused Dorn to lose so much blood during childbirth that she was left unable to move or speak. She now communicates by blinking.
Prior to their first birthday, Dorn was able to see her children regularly. But when they turned one, her husband, Daniel Dorn, announced that he wanted a divorce.
Since then, Daniel has maintained that seeing their mother would be too traumatic for his three children, Esti, Reuvi and Yossi. But Abbie's mother and caretaker, Susan Cohen, believes that visits between her daughter and grandchildren are beneficial to both mother and kids.
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The disagreement led Daniel and Susan, along with Abbie's father, Paul, to court, where Daniel also contended that Cohen gave his children false hope that their mother would get better one day.
Today, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Fredrick Shaller ruled that the children must be allowed to see their mother once a year, during which time they will visit with her for five days, three hours a day. Susan Cohen will not be allowed in the room during the visits. The children will also Skype with their mother once a month.
Daniel's attorney, Vicki Greene, has claimed the ruling as a victory, telling ABC that:
"We're very pleased, the judge definitely understood our decision and ruled what Mr. Dorn said was best for the children."
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