Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
In 2016, Maya Kowalski, a young girl, was taken to a hospital after suffering from constant stomach pains. As per reports, the doctors previously diagnosed her with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). However, her admission into a hospital turned out to be a tragic decision for the family. The Netflix documentary Take Care Of Maya follows the entire case and gives a detailed look at what happened to Maya and why the doctors kept her away from her family.
According to Cosmopolitan, in 2015, Maya Kowalski fell ill and suffered an asthma attack. Following this, she began encountering additional health issues in the ensuing weeks, such as a burning sensation in her feet and blurred vision. Over time, her condition deteriorated to the point where she lost her ability to walk. The documentary revealed that Maya’s mother, Baeta, could hear her cries of pain from her bedroom but was unaware of the symptoms. After seeking medical advice from multiple doctors, a physician in Tampa finally diagnosed her with CRPS.
The documentary noted that the doctor suggested a ketamine infusion treatment. However, in 2016, the pain worsened, and Maya’s parents took her to John Hopkins Hospital. Cosmopolitan wrote that her mother kept on telling doctors to give Maya a high dose of ketamine. The medical personnel grew suspicious of her actions and called in a child abuse pediatrician. In their report, the pediatrician accused Baeta of suffering from Munchausen Syndrome by proxy.
Citing the documentary, Cosmopolitan reported that Maya was put into state custody when the report came out. The separation from her daughter made Baeta very anxious. Eventually, she died by suicide. Subsequently, the hospital allowed Maya Kowalski to go home. Currently, Maya lives in Venice, Florida, along with her father and her brother.
Why did Maya Kowalski and family file a lawsuit against Johns Hopkins Hospital?
Baeta took her own life after being separated from her daughter for almost 90 days. As per the New York Times, the hospital did not allow her to meet her daughter once she got into state custody. The publication also noted that Baeta saw her daughter in a Dependency Court hearing in January 2017. Maya used a wheelchair and looked “in worse shape” than when she entered the medical facility. 48 hours later, Baeta took her own life.
Subsequently, Maya’s father, Jack Kowalski, filed a lawsuit against the Johns Hopkins Hospital. The lawsuit stated that the treatment and abuse allegations against Baeta forced her to take her own life, per Court TV. During the trial, the prosecution team accused the medical facility of several crimes, including medical malpractice, false imprisonment, and more. On the other hand, the defense stated that the hospital did its best to treat the patient, calling the hospital’s actions reasonable.
Citing the lawsuit, Court TV reported that the Johns Hopkins Hospital resisted Jack and Baeta’s attempts to remove Maya from the facility. The outlet also suggested that Maya’s parents had valid Ketamine prescriptions. Meanwhile, the prosecutors alleged that the hospital brought in its director of child abuse as a pediatrician to construct a case against the family, per Court TV. After listening to several arguments, the jury ordered John Hopkins Hospital to pay $261 million in damages to the Kowalski family.
Court ordered hospital to pay $261 million to the Kowalski family
According to the New York Times, the court ordered the medical facility to pay $211 million in compensatory damages. Additionally, the hospital had to pay $50 million in punitive damages. While speaking in an interview with News Nation, Maya Kowalski stated that financial aid will not be able to compensate for her mother’s death. She said, “No amount of money would ever replace my mom.”
However, in January 2024, the court reduced the amount of money the family would receive. As per Court TV, the court lowered the amount after the appeals filed by the hospital. They slashed the amount by $47.5 million. The final amount now stands at $213.5 million.
The documentary Take Care Of Maya is currently streaming on Netflix.
