Maya Kowalski is a 10-year-old girl who went to the emergency room complaining of mysterious, excruciating pain. Her story became the basis of the Netflix documentary, Take Care of Maya.

Doctors deny objective evidence of Maya’s mother’s medical condition and accuse her of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy, taking away Maya’s custody. By suing the hospital, the Kowalskis are fighting for justice and raising awareness of the hundreds of other families that endure similar hardships.

Who is Maya Kowalski?

Maya, the teenager, rose to national attention after her family’s struggle was featured in the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya.” When Maya was hospitalized to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg in 2015, the journey officially started.

What Happened to Maya Kowalski?

In the autumn of 2016, Dr. Sally Smith got a call from the pediatric emergency department at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, on a Saturday afternoon. Smith took out a piece of paper to jot down notes. Smith was the medical director of the Pinellas County child-protection team.

Maya Kowalski penned this. The girl’s name was Ten, and she had recently been admitted due to stomach pains. Smith listened as a physician described the situation. Beata and Jack Kowalski, the girl’s parents, had informed the hospital that Maya had complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS, a neurological condition.

She turned ten years old. The movie depicts the family navigating challenges and disappointments in identifying and managing her primary presenting illness. When Beata, Maya’s mother, committed suicide in 2017 at the age of 43, everything hit a terrible low. A jury last week found the hospital accountable for Beata’s untimely death as well as several additional damages. These included Maya’s emotional abuse, wrongful detention, and violence, in addition to Jack Kowalski, her father, being falsely billed.

They said she needed a wheelchair because of crippling pain radiating through her legs and feet and that she was extremely sensitive to stimuli of all types. Maya screamed and writhed for a full day in the All Children’s intensive care unit. Maya’s mother felt that ketamine infusion was the only way her daughter could withstand the touch during an ultrasound try.

Where is Maya Kowalski Now?

Maya, who is currently 17 years old, lives in Venice, Florida, with her father and brother. She still has CRPS, but she is not allowed to have any further ketamine therapy by court order, thus her rehabilitation was drawn out even though she is now able to use her legs again.

The Kowalskis are suing Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital after their lawsuit against Dr. Sally Smith was resolved.

“For us as a family to move on, we need to fulfill my mom’s wish and fight,” Maya stated to People. “I want justice for my mom.”

What happened to Maya Kowalski? – FAQs

What is CRPS, and how did Maya Kowalski develop it?

Take Care of Maya, a new Netflix documentary, is a sobering true story that follows doctors at a children’s hospital as they care for a new patient named Maya Kowalski and the subsequent court case in which the medic from the child protection team files a report claiming that the child’s mother is abusing her.

Having been diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS) as a kid, Maya Kowalski experienced excruciating, burning feelings in her limbs during bouts of the condition. To assist her control the pain, she started taking ketamine dosages. Beata Maya’s mother was characterized as “pushy” when she asked the physicians to prescribe additional ketamine after Maya was hospitalized to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in 2016, presumably due to a flare-up.

This prompted an inquiry by the hospital’s child protection team’s medical director, Dr. Sally Smith. She came to the conclusion that Beata was genuinely causing Maya’s symptoms by virtue of having Munchausen’s via proxy. Maya’s family was thus taken from her by the courts; this was only one of several cases in which Smith’s evidence resulted in the removal of children from their homes, even if their parents adamantly maintained their innocence.

Why did Maya’s parents choose ketamine as a treatment for CRPS?

Maya Kowalski, the teenager at the heart of a $220 million lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, testified in court one day after her physician diagnosed her with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or CRPS, and recommended ketamine treatments. Following his initial deposition Tuesday afternoon in front of the jury about recordings that Maya’s mother, Beata Kowalski, recorded in the autumn of 2015, Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick took the stand. The judge determined that Dr. Kirkpatrick did not consent to being videotaped on the two relevant days.

Maya was given a CRPS diagnosis by Dr. Kirkpatrick. Maya claimed that while the sequence of lower dose treatments he provided of the analgesic ketamine helped, it was insufficient. At that point, Dr. Kirkpatrick suggested a high-intensity therapy in Mexico, which he claimed to have been effective. According to Dr. Kirkpatrick, he spoke with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital about Maya’s health. “I made it clear that she would die slowly and painfully if she doesn’t receive the ketamine,” Dr. Kirkpatrick said.

What led to an abuse investigation by Dr. Sally Smith?

Maya’s parents were eventually forced to separate from her after suspicions regarding her treatment were voiced by medical professionals at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, prompting Dr. Sally Smith to launch an abuse investigation.

How did the legal battle unfold for the Kowalski family?

The trial for the lawsuit brought by the Kowalski family against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital took place in September of 2023. After the hospital was found accountable for several claims, the family received a payout of more than $261 million.

Why was Maya’s mother, Beata, separated from her daughter for over 90 days?

Due to Dr. Sally Smith’s incorrect diagnosis of Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy, Beata was only permitted to see her daughter under close supervision, and Maya was forced to live apart from her parents.

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