Besides being subject to legal action, mothers who abandon their children generally hold a special place of villainy in the court of public opinion. Witness the recent condemnation after Diana Elliott left her developmentally challenged 14-year-old son at an Atlanta hospital. Not everyone jumped on the bandwagon of rage — some on social media expressed sympathy for a single mother of four caring for children with special needs. Two dozen women showed up at her first hearing to ask the court for mercy.