The Case of Maya Kowalski
By Anderson Vasquez
Maya Kowaiski was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) at a young age, and this diagnosis led to the family falling into shambles.
In 2015, Maya visited John Hopkins Hospital for CRPS and it was there a specalist of indicating child abuse accused Maya’s mother, Beata Kowalski, of child abuse, so the hospital ended taking custody of Maya for months. This caused Maya’s health to deteriorate, reaching an even worse state than she had ever been in.
Seeing her daughter in horrible shape, and being accused of abuse, Beata’s mental health plummetted, resulting in her suicide 3 months after losing custody of Maya. During a court case, Maya’s father won custody after three months of her imprisonment. And on June 24, 2023 Maya’s family sued the hospital for $200 million in emotional damages, false imprisonment, and the cause of death for Beata.
During the court sessions, much was revealed about what occurred in the hospital. According to Fox 13 it all started when CPS was called, wrongfully accusing Beata of abuse. But also at the hospital, Maya received harsh treatment. She was denied any help to reach the bathroom, as she was unable to walk. Whenever she expressed pain, nurses would say that everything was in her head.
At the end of the case the hospital was held responsible for the suffering and ended up paying $211 million to the family. And it would have been the end of the case if it weren’t for the hospital's lawyer wanting to reopen the case three weeks after its end. (Independent) reported that one of the jury's wives was in court. She would end up sharing private and real time information online about the case. Also with having discussion with her husband about the case which may have altered the final verdict.
From hearing about the case, I see that the hospital was and is responsible for all of the damages it did to the family. And this makes me wonder, Is this the first time any hospital has taken any drastic measures?