Severely Disabled Mom Wins Visitation Rights

It's a custody case with tragic dimensions: A judge has ruled that a Los Angeles man must bring his 4-year-old triplets to visit their mother, who is so severely disabled she may not even realize it. Daniel Dorn has to bring the children to see ex-wife Abbie for an annual five-day visit in South Carolina, where she is being cared for by her parents, reports the Los Angeles Times. The ruling will stand until a permanent decision is made after a trial.

The judge wrote that even though there's "no compelling evidence" the visits will benefit Abbie, nor is there "compelling evidence" they will harm the kids. After Abbie gave birth to the triplets in 2006, medical errors left her brain deprived of oxygen. She can no longer walk, talk, or eat, and can communicate only by blinking. She is in what the newspaper calls a "minimally conscious state." Daniel divorced her a year after the birth of the triplets, believing she would never recover. He accuses her parents of giving the kids false hope about her prospects, notes AP. They're suing for even more frequent visits. (More visitation stories.)