By Hannah Lynn, Contributing Writer
Everyone wants to be a hero, but are there instances when a perceived “good deed” can have monstrous consequences?
The case of Kowalski vs John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, or what is known today as the “Take Care of Maya” case (based on the title of the Netflix original documentary), demonstrates how a good deed can turn out monstrous.
In 2016, when Maya Kowalski was ten years old, she went to John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Saint Petersburg, Florida, complaining of severe pain.
Her mother, Beata Kowalski, who worked in the healthcare system as a registered nurse, stated to doctors that she believed her daughter was suffering from “complex regional pain syndrome.”
Maya was diagnosed with this syndrome by Anthony Kirkpatrick, a physician who focuses on complex cases like Maya’s. Maya’s mother requested ketamine for her daughter to help, as that was the treatment.
Complex regional pain syndrome is rare, and not much is known about how the condition starts. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) typically develops after an injury, surgery, a stroke, or a heart attack. The pain is disproportionate to the severity of the initial injury.”
As Maya’s mother requested a ketamine treatment to help her daughter with the pain she was having, the hospital staff began to worry that there was something more going on. The hospital placed Sally Smith, a member of the child protection team, on Maya’s case.
Smith believed, after investigating, that Beata was making Maya feel this pain and that there was nothing wrong with her. This caused Smith to remove the visitation of Maya’s parents, believing it was in Maya’s best interest.
Smith and the doctors thought that Maya was not suffering from complex regional pain. The hospital staff believed that Beata was a victim of Munchausen by proxy, which was causing her to exaggerate her daughter’s illness.
This case eventually turned into a full-blown investigation, which led to the courts evaluating Beata’s mental state. After an evaluation, it was concluded that Beata did not have Munchausen by proxy.
Despite this, the hospital still felt it was in the best interest of Maya to keep her at the hospital. Maya was in the custody of the hospital for three months in total. This situation took a toll on the whole Kowalski family.
Tragically, the situation was too much for Beata, and she committed suicide due to the stress caused by this situation.
Soon after her mother’s passing, Maya could go back to her family. These events lead to the Kowalski family seeking justice for lost time and the wrongful death of Beata.
The Kowalski family sued John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for 200,000 dollars. This case garnered national attention and eventually led to the creation of the Netflix documentary, “Take Care of Maya,” to raise awareness of what Maya went through.
Grace Lundfelt, a junior majoring in nursing at Saint Leo University, remarked, “Hospitals have certain protocols to follow if abuse is suspected to protect patients. As a healthcare team, they should have looked at the patient and realized that Maya was not doing well. There were a lot of contributing factors, but patient care should have been a top priority.”
This issue was taken to court because Maya and her father both felt that the hospital had kidnapped her from her family and that the mistreatment from the hospital directly caused the loss of Beata.
The case was settled on Nov. 9. The judge ruled in favor of the Kowalski family and was awarded a settlement of 220 million dollars.
