Abbie Dorn lies in a hospital bed in her parents' home on the South Carolina coast. A halo of dark curls frames her pale face. The pump for her feeding tube clicks softly in the quiet room. Abbie and their father, Dan Dorn, have divorced, and Dan is raising the children in a modest Beverlywood bungalow. Abbie, 34, held her babies only once, the day of their birth. She has not seen them in nearly 2 1/2 years.
Abbie's parents have been named conservators of her estate, which includes a multimillion-dollar malpractice settlement, and are asking a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to order Dan to let Abbie see her children. Dan has refused all requests, arguing that visitation would be too traumatic at their young age.
The bitter dispute raises questions both legal and profoundly human. What is a parent? What constitutes a parent-child relationship? How do you show children that they are loved? And can Abbie Dorn ever be a mother to her children?
In court papers, Dan, 33, describes the woman he once loved as "in a vegetative state with virtually no hope for recovery." His attorney, Vicki Greene, says, "As far as we know, Abbie is incompetent," that the case is all about her parents' wishes, that "we don't know what Abbie wants, because Abbie can't speak for herself."
Abbie's mother argues vehemently otherwise. Her daughter, Susan Cohen says, has improved markedly since "the event." She gets hours of therapy each day. She can read. She is capable of complex thought.
And she can communicate. With her smile. Her tears. And, most of all, her eyes.
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Severly Disabled, Is She Still a Mom?
It's another Schiavo story!
ReplyDeleteThe husband wants to "move on" with a new wife, and he wants some of that malpractice money, too!
Of course she's still a Mom - shame on anyone who say otherwise.
ReplyDeleteYes! she is a mom, her children that she gave birth to have the RIGHT to see their mother.
ReplyDeleteIf I was the child of Abbie Dorn, I would hold this against my "father" for his role in keeping me away.
Traumatic to see their mother? I think it's damaging and more traumatic to be denied visitiation.
Yes, Anon 1, I agree. Another Schiavo story. What a sad state of affairs our country is in.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Sue, and the father should be thinking of it. Someday, the kids are going to hold him accountable. His day is coming.
ReplyDeleteThe stories on this blog are all alike - there is always one worthless control freak who's worried about nothing but what he wants. He gets his own way under the guise of doing what's best for someone else. You can be sure that the father is doing more harm to the children than the mother ever possibly could.
ReplyDeleteOnce someone is declared "incapacitated" they might as well be declared "a piece of wood" or any other "OBJECT". Humanity is suddenly removed. Decisions regarding elders are the same; can't see your adult children, especially any who truly advocate for their parent. Such adult children are an obstacle to the probate AGENDA, which is to take control of all the estate and distribute it to "probate insiders". If any member of the public were to take such actions_ depriving a non-abusive mother from seeing her children, they would be charged criminally & sent to jail. Yet under the guise of "legal" procedures, while censoring EVIDENCE beneficial to "ward" _ it is not just acceptable; its common practice. Of course someone is paying plenty of legal fees for such a ruling, which is motivated by the desire for "unjust enrichment". Humane concerns & rights are NOT PART OF THE AGENDA.
ReplyDelete