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“Take Care of Maya”: 200 Million Dollars at Stake

Anette Benitez

Netflix Inc.

“For the first time, I feel like I got justice”, said Maya Kowalski, now 17 years old, in a statement to reporters outside of the courtroom involving her multimillion dollar case.


In October of 2016, Dr. Sally Smith, the medical director of the child-protection team for Pinellas County, received a phone call from the pediatric emergency room at John Hopkins All Children's hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. The patient in question was Maya Kowalski, who was just admitted to the hospital due to abdominal pain. Maya’s parents Beata and Jack Kowalski had told the hospital that she suffers from a neurological disorder called CRPS or complex regional pain syndrome. They described her situation, stating that she was sensitive to all kinds of stimuli, and that the disabling pain radiating through her legs and feet required her to use a wheelchair.


In her recent trial Maya revealed that she had prior received the painkiller ketamine during a series of treatments in Mexico which had controlled her pain, she was improving until the 2016 flare up.

Trial Exhibit by Maya Kowalski

When in John Hopkins her mother refused an ultrasound to the nurse and started demanding ketamine. The nurse, being concerned by the demand of such a powerful drug, asked Debby Hansen, a social worker, to talk to the Kowalski’s. Hansen agreed that it was very strange for Beata to demand pain medication before allowing a routine test to take place. Also considering that a parent being uncooperative is considered a flag for neglect, Hansen filed a formal notice with the state.


By the next morning Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) had discarded her report because of lack of evidence, but the people at the hospital remained concerned. Pediatric physician Teppa Sanchez expressed some concerns about Beata with Dr. Smith. She described Ms. Kowalski as pushy, and said that had asked for her daughter to be given 1,500 milligrams of ketamine, (which is an enormous dose!)


Maya was reported to squirm, shake and cry out less when her mother was out of the room. This led Smith to further her research and the next day a social worker filed a second report with the state regarding overtreatment. Beata Kowalski “is believed to have mental issues” the report said “it was stated that Maya was not in pain. Mom insists she is in pain”. The DCF officially asked Smith to investigate.


“I got medical records on that child, going back to when she was a toddler, that were from probably 30 different medical providers,” Smith declared. She discovered the records which proved that Maya had been taken to a hospital in Mexico where she underwent treatment receiving extremely high doses of ketamine. To Smith it looked like “doctor shopping” and her suspicions grew even more. She began to develop a theory that Beata Kowalski suffered from Munchausen syndrome (where a parent deliberately makes a child ill in order to receive sympathy and gratitude). As Smith investigated, the Kowalski’s grew restless and demanded Maya to be discharged from the hospital just two days after she was admitted. Hospital staff wanted Maya to complete her evaluation first, if Maya's parents attempted to take Maya home they would be arrested.

Picture of Dr. Sally Smith, Fox 13 News

On Thursday October 13, 2016 Smith filed a report regarding Maya’s medical history. The state quickly issued a shelter order directing that Maya be kept in the hospital without permission for her parents top see her. Smith was extremely paranoid until a point where she asked nurses to videotape Maya because she knew she could move her legs. The hospital allowed video calls and regular calls from her parents but as time went by Maya’s social worker, Cathi Bader began declining them. Several family members offered to supervise her fathers visitation but it was denied. As well as visitation for educational instructors and even the family priest. Beata offered to move out of her home if it meant Maya could come visit for Christmas, but she didn't.


Her father was concerned for Beata. She was pale and had lost so much weight. She had gotten drunk for the first time in a long time. Until one morning Maya’s father woke up because of a scream he heard from the garage. It was from a family member visiting at that time. Inside the garage Beata was hanging motionless from the ceiling.

Law and Crime Network

“Take Care of Maya” a Netflix documentary premiered in June 2023 tells her story following her trial. The Kowalski family filed a lawsuit against John Hopkins All Children's Hospital. The hospital was found liable in seven claims: false imprisonment, battery, medical negligence, fraudulent billing, Survivor claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress (Estate of Beata Kowalski), Wrongful death claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress causing death and Maya Kowalski’s claim for infliction of emotional distress. The hospital lost the case and ended up awarding the family $261 million dollars.





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