Maya Kowalski, the young woman at the center of an alleged child medical abuse case in Florida that drove her mother to suicide and inspired the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya,” testified on Monday about her experience. A Florida jury on Thursday awarded $211 million in damages to the family of Maya Kowalski, who alleged in a 2018 civil suit that the actions of staff at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHAC) in St. Petersburg ultimately drove Maya’s mother, Beata Kowalski, to suicide in 2017.
The jury found that JHAC had falsely imprisoned Maya, fraudulently billed her family, and caused them severe emotional distress. It was also determined that social worker Catherine Bedy had battered Maya, and Dr. Sally Smith had medically neglected her. Maya, who was ten years old when she was admitted to JHAC for a rare medical condition, cried and grasped a rosary in her hand as the jury’s decision was read aloud in court.
Howard Hunter, an attorney from Hill Ward Henderson who represented Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, stated that they plan to appeal the decision based on alleged errors throughout the trial and misleading conduct by the plaintiff’s counsel.
The case revolves around the suspicion that Beata Kowalski was suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy after she pushed for unapproved ketamine treatment for her daughter’s condition. Staff at JHAC accused Beata of medical abuse, leading to the court removing Maya from her parents’ custody. Beata hanged herself in January 2017 after being separated from her daughter for months.
The defense argued that the hospital’s actions were driven by the belief in getting Maya on a safe medical path, as they thought the unnecessary drugs given at dangerous levels were harmful. The defense also accused Beata of giving her daughter unsafe doses of ketamine.
The Kowalski family alleges that the hospital billed their insurance company thousands of dollars for treatments despite claiming that Maya did not have the diagnosed condition. Maya’s father sued JHAC and medical personnel assigned to her treatment, alleging false accusations and failure to properly care for his daughter.
The case gained attention after inspiring the documentary series “Take Care of Maya,” which follows Maya and Beata’s journey through Maya’s rare condition called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The condition causes severe pain throughout the body due to nervous system dysfunction.
The Kowalski family’s lawsuit against JHAC seeks to hold the hospital accountable for causing harm and driving Beata to suicide by reporting her for medical child abuse. The family claims that the hospital’s power, combined with the state’s power, made them helpless in getting appropriate help for Maya.
JHAC maintains that it followed mandatory reporting laws and fully complied with court orders and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when suspicions of child abuse were confirmed.
The case sheds light on the responsibility that hospital staff have to report suspected child abuse while raising questions about the emotional distress caused by separation and the billing practices of the hospital.
The article focuses on the details of the case and the arguments presented by both parties involved. It highlights the emotional impact on the Kowalski family and the controversy surrounding the hospital’s actions.
