‘Take Care of Maya’ - Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins Trial

[MTW2011]

Though not entirely surprising, kinda ironic the defense in depositions trying to call out the lack of Board certification exams (though one of today’s witness talked of how he helped make the Exam & didn’t feel right taking a test he helped make) as ways to discredit these doctors….while at the same time all the very Board certified, some in multiple specialities, are the ones who are accused of the worst allegations.

Board Certified doesn’t seem to be some be all end all or indicative of the best care in the world, especially when the Board certified docs are the ones accused of doing all the wrongdoing. But if you don’t have much else to pick apart their opinions on, it makes sense to try and get this questioning in front of the jury.

 

[escape2sc]

3 years ago, My daughter developed CRPS after a mild knee sprain. It began on the inner side of her left knee and over 6 months spread to all of her left side. She also developed fluctuating sensitivity to light and sound. For over 2 years just the weight of her clothes, sunlight, a slight breeze touching her skin could bring severe pain. It is an excruiating painful disorder. Totally heartbreaking to listen to your daughter scream out in pain because it feels like she is being stabbed in her vagina by blazing hot knives.

Her injury happened during the Covid shutdown and early treatment was difficult to receive. 8 months after the onset of CRPS, she was finally referred to a CRPS specialist and after behavior, psychological, and physical therapy, she was determined to be a candidate for Spinal Cord Neurostimulation surgery. She had leads placed near the dorsal root nerve exiting the left side of her spine and a battery pack implanted in her right hip and electrical currents disrupt the pain signal. This has reduced her pain level by 25 to 30 %.

Her best pain day is the pain level in the initial stage of CRPS..her worst is feeling like she is internally on fire or being stabbed all over with hot needles. Everyday she has difficulty standing, sitting or walking for more than short periods of time, varying degrees of light and sound sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, fatigue. She can no longer work, and socializing with friends, shopping, traveling in a car, etc are all difficult for her.

She was 28 yrs old then and in less than a minute her life changed forever. CRPS is often called the Suicide disease and after witnessing the frequent extreme pain caused by this disorder I understand why. There were days when we were sure we would wake up to find our daughter had given up the fight to carry on with a future that was filled with pain. Thankfully she continues to fight and to adapt to the many challenges of CRPS.

 

[IDK]

3 years ago, My daughter developed CRPS after a mild knee sprain. It began on the inner side of her left knee and over 6 months spread to all of her left side. She also developed fluctuating sensitivity to light and sound. For over 2 years just the weight of her clothes, sunlight, a slight breeze touching her skin could bring severe pain. It is an excruiating painful disorder. Totally heartbreaking to listen to your daughter scream out in pain because it feels like she is being stabbed in her vagina by blazing hot knives.

Her injury happened during the Covid shutdown and early treatment was difficult to receive. 8 months after the onset of CRPS, she was finally referred to a CRPS specialist and after behavior, psychological, and physical therapy, she was determined to be a candidate for Spinal Cord Neurostimulation surgery. She had leads placed near the dorsal root nerve exiting the left side of her spine and a battery pack implanted in her right hip and electrical currents disrupt the pain signal. This has reduced her pain level by 25 to 30 %.

Her best pain day is the pain level in the initial stage of CRPS..her worst is feeling like she is internally on fire or being stabbed all over with hot needles. Everyday she has difficulty standing, sitting or walking for more than short periods of time, varying degrees of light and sound sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, fatigue. She can no longer work, and socializing with friends, shopping, traveling in a car, etc are all difficult for her.

She was 28 yrs old then and in less than a minute her life changed forever. CRPS is often called the Suicide disease and after witnessing the frequent extreme pain caused by this disorder I understand why. There were days when we were sure we would wake up to find our daughter had giving up the fight to carry on with a future that was filled with pain. Thankfully she continues to fight and to adapt to the many challenges of CRPS.

I’m so sorry your daughter is going through this! What a devastating condition. I cannot imagine what it’s like to watch your child in that much pain. Thank you for sharing her experiences— I hope that increased attention will lead to more research and treatment options.

 

[gitana1]

It’s one of those elusive disorders for which there is no specific clinical test. Reminds me of the case of the gal taken from her family who was thought to have a metabolic disorder that also doesn’t have a very good and specific test.

I saw the documentary when it came out. It was very much biased toward the family’s side of things. I felt the mother was histrionic, even in the biased documentary. It also is suspicious that these kids always tend to improve quickly after the mother is out of the picture.

That being said, I think it is a high probability that the child indeed had/has this condition. And frankly, if even half of what the family alleges occurred, some heads need to roll. They traumatized the family and contributed to the mother’s death.

 

[gitana1]

I'm a long-time lurker and new poster, so please let me know if content like this is discouraged. I'm a courtroom sketch artist who's been tuning into this trial; here's a practice sketch from the livestream of a particularly expressive moment by Defense Counsel today.

View attachment 452843

You did that? Wowwwwww! Oh my gosh it’s fabulous.

 

[IDK]

Depositions being played today. Dr. Laura Vose, head of ethics committee referred to Maya as "Ketamine Girl".

https://twitter.com/x/status/1712119746685247607

I certainly understand the need to maintain patient confidentiality, but using the descriptor “ketamine girl” was way out of line, IMO.

In addition to that, they were gossip texting about a patient at their own hospital. This does not look good. She seemed contrite, but maybe that’s just because she was being called out for her behavior.

Originally, the plaintiffs were planning to rest their case today, but not sure they will be able to wrap it up. Listening to Anderson interview witnesses can be painful. His depositions are good though and he appears to know the law inside and out.

Does anyone remember how much time each side is allotted? I thought I remembered it being 44 hours, and the plaintiffs were at 40 hours by the end of yesterday’s testimony….

 

[Rolypolyoly]

It’s one of those elusive disorders for which there is no specific clinical test. Reminds me of the case of the gal taken from her family who was thought to have a metabolic disorder that also doesn’t have a very good and specific test.

I saw the documentary when it came out. It was very much biased toward the family’s side of things. I felt the mother was histrionic, even in the biased documentary. It also is suspicious that these kids always tend to improve quickly after the mother is out of the picture.

That being said, I think it is a high probability that the child indeed had/has this condition. And frankly, if even half of what the family alleges occurred, some heads need to roll. They traumatized the family and contributed to the mother’s death.

I've not watched the documentary yet so it's hard to know if i would agree with your interpretation of Beata, but what I would say is that I don't think we can imagine what it it must feel like as a parent to watch your child in indescrible pain, and for them to blame you and therefore dismiss their pain as real. If you are fighting with everything you have to try to get someone, anyone, to hear you and to help them, and instead they keep suffering in that unimaginable pain because they are so hellbent on proving you are harming them, we might all seem a little histrionic to be fair.

 

[arielilane]

WATCH LIVE: ‘Take Care of Maya’ Trial — Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Chi...
https://youtube.com/live/1XlcidYwCKU?si=N9GpJrBJvPpxCHgD via @YouTube

https://twitter.com/x/status/1712807242268094741

 

[Litig8r]

I just started watching this trial and I’m trying hard not to read the posts here yet. But I have to say, the eye-rolling and the head-shaking by the defense attorneys strikes me as completely unprofessional and disrespectful of the court, the plaintiffs and proceedings. Not that it should matter, but they know they are on camera…one would think they’d be mindful of that if nothing else! I’ve seen no such behavior from the plaintiffs thus far.

 

[arielilane]

While on the stand Friday, #MayaKowalski, the girl at the center of Netlfix’s “Take Care of Maya” documentary, said she wished she never told her mother, #BeataKowalski, about the events that happened at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She later blamed herself for her mother's death. "I feel like it's my fault," Maya explained.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1712839839979110703

 

[Gardenista]

I certainly understand the need to maintain patient confidentiality, but using the descriptor “ketamine girl” was way out of line, IMO.

In addition to that, they were gossip texting about a patient at their own hospital. This does not look good. She seemed contrite, but maybe that’s just because she was being called out for her behavior.

Originally, the plaintiffs were planning to rest their case today, but not sure they will be able to wrap it up. Listening to Anderson interview witnesses can be painful. His depositions are good though and he appears to know the law inside and out.

Does anyone remember how much time each side is allotted? I thought I remembered it being 44 hours, and the plaintiffs were at 40 hours by the end of yesterday’s testimony….

55 hours

 

[IDK]

55 hours

Thank you Gardenista!

 

[taml]

You did that? Wowwwwww! Oh my gosh it’s fabulous.

You are an amazing artist and thank you

 

[Litig8r]

More irrelevant courtroom goings-on complaining from me … Who enters a courtroom during a trial and sits right there front and center in the gallery wearing shorts and a t-shirt? I know us Floridians sometimes have trouble getting out of our flip-flops, but come on! I just think this is so disrespectful.

On a positive note, I really love what seems to be the “vibe” in this court. I’m enjoying the lighthearted humor amongst the judge, the attorneys and the witnesses. In particular Dr. Chopra, “That’s $1.00 every time you interrupt me.” And then, “That’s another dollar. I have to make some money, right? That’s $3.00 so far.” I find this refreshing from a medical professional during in-depth testimony. And speaking of Dr. Chopra…holy credentials!! I’m very impressed with him.

Thank you all for indulging my three-weeks-behind comments. I avoided this trial at first because I have strong feelings about it. It’s in my backyard, I’m a parent, former GAL (Guardian ad Litem) and I made a midlife career change into the medical profession. I’ve also had ketamine infusions.

I haven’t read through the posts here yet; I’m trying to read them to coincide with the trial days. I know I can look forward to another websleuths quality discussion!

 

[gitana1]

I've not watched the documentary yet so it's hard to know if i would agree with your interpretation of Beata, but what I would say is that I don't think we can imagine what it it must feel like as a parent to watch your child in indescrible pain, and for them to blame you and therefore dismiss their pain as real. If you are fighting with everything you have to try to get someone, anyone, to hear you and to help them, and instead they keep suffering in that unimaginable pain because they are so hellbent on proving you are harming them, we might all seem a little histrionic to be fair.

Oh I’ve seen my share of people fighting for their children. And it’s true. When someone is desperate they can seem histrionic. But it was another sense I got. I think she had some issues. It makes sense to me that they would’ve suspected something with her.

 

[gitana1]

You are an amazing artist and thank you

She is!

 

[cocomod]

I cannot imagine the pain this family was put through. I hate child abuse and would NEVER want to see child returned to an abusive parent. However, this case stinks! The child did NOT improve when taken away from her parents, she persistently got worse. When they admittedly decided it was not Munchausen syndrome by proxy, then tried to label her with another disorder, I think at that point they had no business keeping the family from her. They are in cover your a$$ mode now - but in my humble opinion, they are wrong.

 

[arielilane]

WATCH LIVE: ‘Take Care of Maya’ Trial — Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital — Day 16​

The family of Maya Kowalski, the subject of Netflix’s “Take Care of Maya,” allege that a report of child abuse from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital led to Beata Kowalski taking her own life. The Kowalski’s are suing doctors, the Department of Children and Families, and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for $200 million dollars in connection to Beata’s death. According to court documents, the child abuse case against Beata was pushed forward after Maya’s physician confirmed her condition, complex regional pain syndrome, was not the fault of her parents. During the time Beata was separated from Maya, she took her own life.

 

[arielilane]

Defense motion for an acquittal.

 

[IDK]

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