Maya Kowalski: The Denial of A Mother's Hug (Part 2)

Maya Kowalski was ten years old when her father brought her to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in October of 2016. The previous year, Maya had been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which caused her excruciating pain. Consistent therapy and ketamine treatments had gotten Maya’s condition under control, but she would have flare ups from time to time, and one of these flare ups brought her to the emergency room at All Children's Hospital, complaining of pain in her stomach. Maya would remain at the hospital for the next several months, against the wishes of herself and her parents, lawyers would later say. Her mother Beata Kowalski was accused of neglect and medical abuse, and by the time Maya was finally allowed to go home, her mother was dead, having taken her own life after being forbidden from seeing her sick daughter for 87 days. Maya’s family would go on to sue Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, claiming it’s actions led to Beata Kowalski taking her own life, devastated that she could not see her daughter and that she was being accused of abusing Maya. The Kowalski family also alleged that Maya was medically kidnapped, battered and abused while in the hospital’s care. This lawsuit would bring to the light deeper issues at Johns Hopkins, issues that affected far more than the Kowalski family and lead many of us to ask the question; if you can’t trust those who take an oath to do no harm, who can you trust?

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[francesfolnsbee]

Not giving her the right to hug her child? They give more rights to parents who have physically abused their kids with supervised visits! This case is just inhumane!

[brettneygibbs]

I have a HUGE problem with the nickname ketamine girl. Theres a million other things they could have called her. Her room number, MK, ANYTHING. Ketamine girl is condescending and disrespectful and really says a lot about how they felt about Maya and how they treated her.

[louisefindlay]

Spot on Derrick! As she was seen as the villan, if she was out of the way, her daughter can go home. She freed her daughter by sacrificing herself 😢

[lisacrisp]

As someone with a bachelor's degree in social work.. I am appalled by the actions of this social worker. I will never understand how she could be hired with a case of child abuse against her. As a social worker, I have comforted children but never by kissing them or putting them on my lap.. even a toddler. This is terrible. I know no amount of money will ever be able to make this right but I'm glad her family did get a little justice

[sallyh.]

And poor Kyle… I realize it’s more complicated than this, but at some point it has to have occurred to him “my mother was willing die for Maya but she wasn’t willing to LIVE for me… I’ve been standing in the background of this, as an afterthought, for my whole life.”

[melberry]

What many don't seem to realize is that it's not just this case. This is how the world really works for people when they're on the wrong side of the system. We all grow up thinking we have rights and protections under the law. That it's a fair and just system. You find out fairly quickly that unless you have plenty of money that enables you to fight effectively, you're just at the mercy of those making the decisions.

[texasanders]

30:00 Stephanie's statement about having the American right is such an echo of Beata's spirit as an immigrant from a communist country, finally in a land of rights. Beata didn't realize how dysfunctional things can still be in this land of Freedom. 💔 But Jack was already here, already seasoned by the cynicism of reality. Those recordings of their arguments are so humbling and heartbreaking.

[cnstrange]

I’ve had a series of ketamine infusions for chronic pain. Didn’t work for me and I hated the feeling, they had to also give me versed to keep me calm, but it is an established intervention with a research base behind it, so we decided to try. So I never understood the allegation of abuse in this case, this is an established, if fairly novel treatment and the mother isn’t doing anything to the child. This isn’t how munchausen by proxy works.

[brandyjean]

Derrick: knows how to play the long game. Beata was a sensitive, loving Mom & came from somewhere that all of the games were rigged. Then hearing that being denied the medicine her daughter needed & could actually die? I can't imagine how tortured she was.This hospital & their cohorts abused their power. They do need to be held accountable. And unfortunately only financial loss will matter to them.

[abrarichards]

My husband was diagnosed with CRPS 5 years ago. Its unreal the amount of people that treated him like he was faking or it was all in his head. A 40 year old man with no history of drug seeking or substance abuse, who never complained about any pain and actively avoided doctors at all cost. This poor family❤

[majestical]

My blanket has my mom's scent and I can't tell you how tight I held on to it, gave thanks for her being in my life, and cried.

Maya, I am so sorry for your terrible *AND* traumatic loss. My you and your family heal.

[mamamia]

My heart is shattered listening to this case. The Kathy Beady lady, just awful, I can’t believe someone who’s been arrested for child abuse was allowed to spend so much time alone with a sick child much less SHE was the gatekeeper keep her parents away! Shame on the hospital! The system is so broken, I’m thankful that Maya and her family are brave enough to fight this for all the other children too. My prayers to them.

[DoRNURSE]

Aside from exerting a display of power, I just don’t understand why the judge decided it was not okay for Maya to hug Beata that day. What harm could have possibly been done? It seems like an abuse of discretion, unless there’s something I’m not comprehending about the perceived harm that this hug would have caused.

[irenegriffin]

I 100% agree that Beata did what she did to save Maya! No one, not even the court, was listening to what she was saying until her death. It's criminal that she was led to that!

She didn't know it then, but she also brought attention to hospitals and courts mistreating so many other families! It's an absolute tragedy that she had to give her life to be able to rescue her daughter, family and so many others but because of that her death was not in vain. RIP Beata, and God rest her soul. 💔

[summerchild_]

As a person who has been suicidal for years and years, who am I to judge Maya's mom? But man, poor Maya's brother. He had the opportunity to grow up with a mother and it was taken away from him.

[kristina]

I was a nurse for forty years and retired over a decade ago. Medical personnel have a tremendous amount of power over their patients. At the time that I left nursing, more time was spent on documentation than on actual patient care. It was a system designed to CYA. Not documented, not done.

[KylaSibbett]

I understand how this mother felt! My children, and I were victims of kidnapping by DHS. They kept my children away from me for 5 years! My children were being abused physically in there foster home but DHS would not move them. It made me feel so helpless. I am a mother and my main job is to keep my children safe, and there was nothing I could do! Thankfully my children are now home and safe, but it took the foster mom biting my son on his face for them to be removed from her care and put back into mine. Both of my children will have lifelong mental issues for what they went through in that 5 year period of time. None of the case workers were held accountable, the foster mom was not arrested, even though I called the police on many occasions asking to press charges on behalf of my son. It was the worst nightmare I had ever gone through.

[Plantlover]

I have a 9 month old daughter but even if I didn’t have any kids, I think I would still side on the side of Maya and her parents. I hope people see now how medical professionals can twist things to fit their own needs and they are NOT always looking out for you or your kids. Honestly I can’t understand how some people still side with the hospital after watching the documentary and your videos about this case. It breaks my heart to think of what they went through and I definitely put myself in their shoes. I hope and pray that no one ever has to go through this again.

[TinaLM]

I am an RN. I have experience in ICU and in Hospice. Even if they were texting on their own personal devices they still can’t use any information that can identify the patient. That includes nicknames. That is identifying information and on an unsecured device. That is a HIPPA violation. That is disgusting to see that and they should not be nurses or doctors.

[Kait-cvfx]

This case is absolutely sickening. I’m also confused why the child advocate (forgot the actual name 😅) never reported the case manager or why she never questioned why things needed to be around her schedule if it was known that was not part of the orders. The whole system failed and it’s gross.