Content warning: The following piece contains mentions of suicide, abuse, and trauma and may be triggering for some. Reader discretion is advised.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or visit their website.
A Florida family's story is explored in a new Netflix documentary called Take Care of Maya, which examines their harrowing experience with a healthcare team who were trying to help their sick child.
Back in 2016, the Kowalskis admitted their 10-year-old daughter, Maya, to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. The little girl was experiencing abdominal pain and her parents, Beata and Jack Kowalski, informed the doctors "Maya suffered from a neurological disorder called complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS. They said that she was acutely sensitive to stimuli of all kinds and that disabling pain radiated through her legs and feet, requiring the use of a wheelchair," as reported by The Cut.
The medical team thought something possibly criminal was up with the Kowalski parents, and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) was contacted to examine the situation.
According to People, Beata was accused of child abuse due to Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental disorder in which a caregiver (such as a parent) either causes or fakes symptoms to make that person appear sick. If you've ever watched Hulu's The Act, which tells the true story of Gypsy Rose and the abusive mother who harmed her own child to make her seem ill, then you have an idea about what the disorder can do to a person and their victim.
Because of this accusation, Maya's parents were separated from their sick child and the 10-year-old was put into state custody. She was now trapped in the hospital and not allowed to see her own parents, who were trying to get answers for how to heal their ailing daughter. Maya didn't see her parents or younger brother Kyle for over three months.
Later, Beata died by suicide. People shared an email Beata had written that was discovered after her death: "I'm sorry but I no longer can take the pain of being away from Maya and being treated like a criminal. I cannot watch my daughter suffer in pain and keep getting worse."
Less than a week later, Maya was released back into her dad's custody. A trial for the lawsuit the Kowalskis filed against the hospital will begin in September 2023.
So, where is Jack Kowalski now?
He, along with his children, are still living in Florida and preparing for the upcoming trial on their late wife and mother's behalf. As reported by The Independent, Jack said in the documentary how they "want Beata's voice to be heard" and they "want Maya's voice to be heard."
Stacey Grant is a senior editor at Seventeen who runs the brand's Snapchat Discover channel. She also covers entertainment topics specializing in nostalgia, such as classic '90s and '00s Disney Channel and Nickelodeon content.
