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

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BeginnerSleuther said:
BBM. Sally Smith has a medical degree. Are you referring to someone else?
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I mean she is not a physician - she is not a doctor that can diagnose physical illness. She is not qualified to say that Maya wasn't suffering from CRPS. I am not saying she can't do her job, but I do in my honest opinion from everything I have read and even heard from her believe that she jumps to abuse much faster than others.
 
cocomod said:
I mean she is not a physician - she is not a doctor that can diagnose physical illness. She is not qualified to say that Maya wasn't suffering from CRPS. I am not saying she can't do her job, but I do in my honest opinion from everything I have read and even heard from her believe that she jumps to abuse much faster than others.
Click to expand...

Can you please link to where you're getting your information? My understanding is that she very much IS a physician and yes, all physicians can diagnose physical illness. If she's a physician (pediatrician, I believe), then she is very much qualified to say that Maya was or wasn't suffering from CRPS. She may have been wrong, but that doesn't mean she's not qualified. Where are you seeing that she's not a physician?

FYI, Sally Smith is an MD, board certified in pediatrics and did a child abuse fellowship it seems. She got her MD from St. Louis University. It doesn't mean she's good at what she does, but she is a physician and is qualified do diagnose any type of physical illness, including CRPS.

www.pnj.com

Netflix's 'Take Care of Maya' puts Dr. Sally Smith back into the spotlight. Who she is

Dr. Sally Smith, the former medical director for Pinellas County (Florida) Child Protective Services, came under fire for her child abuse diagnoses.
www.pnj.com
 
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BeginnerSleuther said:
Can you please link to where you're getting your information? My understanding is that she very much IS a physician and yes, all physicians can diagnose physical illness. If she's a physician (pediatrician, I believe), then she is very much qualified to say that Maya was or wasn't suffering from CRPS. She may have been wrong, but that doesn't mean she's not qualified. Where are you seeing that she's not a physician?

FYI, Sally Smith is an MD, board certified in pediatrics and did a child abuse fellowship it seems. She got her MD from St. Louis University. It doesn't mean she's good at what she does, but she is a physician and is qualified do diagnose any type of physical illness, including CRPS.

www.pnj.com

Netflix's 'Take Care of Maya' puts Dr. Sally Smith back into the spotlight. Who she is

Dr. Sally Smith, the former medical director for Pinellas County (Florida) Child Protective Services, came under fire for her child abuse diagnoses.
www.pnj.com
Click to expand...


I apologize, I misspoke and misunderstood. I admittedly was under the impression that she was a social worker, not a physician my mistake! I still stand by the fact that she was overreaching in many cases. The article that you linked shows the investigation into her practices that she jumped to abuse before even knowing the cases fully.

“Smith has a long history of making allegations causing irreparable trauma and harm by quickly diagnosing child abuse and ripping families apart by separating them despite many of the parents or caregivers being credibly innocent.”

Also, I still stand by she diagnosed abuse before even talking to Maya which I believe was overreaching and extremely damaging to this family
 
Soulmagent said:
I hope i didnt make you feel called out or something.
I quoted your post because it feel like a good place to leap from .
Not to crit

So much more too. if you need to talk message trisha and show her this post . She has my number.. she used it once but she is on top of it . She is an excellect pre-screener and a very honest person and her turtle shell is hard. Love her. Thank god for public radio. miss it.
Click to expand...
I did share my daughter’s story with @Tricia once, for her to share with another member who was going through a difficult situation with a sick child
She’s the best:)♡
 
If the emails Beata was sending herself that she was writing asif she was Maya are allowed into evidence, I think this will show the true full picture to the jury. If the aren’t allowed then they won’t be seeing everything as it really was.

The defence have the chance here to really expose what was happening with Maya, and to show exactly why the hospital were completely justified IMO in raising concerns. There were red flags right from the beginning. The case documents are deeply disturbing IMO.

MOO
 
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 17: 10/19/23

  • After a day off, jurors returned on Thursday to continue hearing the defense’s case.
  • Dr. Michelle Smith, a doctor at JHACH, testified to her treatment of Maya on Oct. 7-12, 2016.
    • Smith described Beata as cooperative and polite.
  • Dr. Beatriz ‘Teppa’ Sanchez, a critical care doctor at JHACH testified that Maya repeatedly said she needed her medication and that she needed her anesthesia medication.
    • Sanchez said that the Kowalskis told her about traveling to Mexico for ketamine treatments.
    • Sanchez said that she consulted with the hospital’s pain team because she did not feel comfortable giving the high dosages of ketamine that Beata was requesting Maya be given.
  • Johanna Klink, a former RN, said that Beata would not let her check Maya’s blood pressure, and said that Maya was unable to walk because of her CRPS, but she remembered seeing her move her legs on the bed.
    • Klink described Maya as behaving differently when her mother was present.
    • Klink testified that she was bothered by Maya’s use of profanity.
  • Dr. Paul Kornberg testified that he recommended Maya stop taking medication upon discharge.


DAY 16: 10/17/23

  • The child welfare case manager who oversaw Maya’s case while at the hospital told jurors that it was her, not Catherine Bedy, who ‘redirected’ the phone conversations between Beata and her daughter.
  • A former nurse with Tampa General Hospital raised concerns in 2015 that Maya may have had a psychogenic issue more than a need for physical therapy, citing that her condition deteriorated when her mother, Beata, was around and less when her father and brother were around.
  • Ketamine was mostly banned in Tampa area hospitals and was used in small dosages for extreme medical conditions.

Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: 'Take Care of Maya' Trial

Posted at 6:50 PM, October 19, 2023
 
Seven minute video.
Nurse testified: "I'm tired of all these lies, my life is a lie."


https://twitter.com/x/status/1715442981770055889


www.courttv.com

Smoking Gun Witness Testifies About Maya’s “Cry for Help”

Johanna Klink said Maya Kowalski asked her for “sedation” and said her “life is a lie” shortly after she was admitted to the hospital.
www.courttv.com www.courttv.com

SMOKING GUN WITNESS TESTIFIES ABOUT MAYA’S “CRY FOR HELP”​

Johanna Klink, a former JHACH nurse, said Maya Kowalski asked her for “sedation” and said her “life is a lie” shortly after she was admitted to the hospital.
 
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That’s so sad. I can’t imagine how frustrating and overwhelming it would be for a child to have chronic pain like that and apparently made to feel as if it wasn’t real pain? I feel like the context of the comment is very important.
 

WATCH LIVE: ‘Take Care of Maya’ Trial — Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital — Day 21​


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.
 
“Upon information and belief, Dr. Smith directly and/or indirectly issued orders to JHACH physicians and staff, such as isolating Maya, covertly surveilling Maya by video for a period of approximately 48 hours, ordering a regime of physical therapy, issuing directions to wean Maya off pain medications, and placing restrictions on the Kowalskis’ visitation rights within JHACH.”
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The lawsuit accuses the hospital of working with its staff to “imprison” Maya without legal justification and barring her family from visiting. “The resulting prolonged separation from their suffering daughter manifested in Beata’s depression, fatigue, and overwhelming sense of hopelessness. … Despite specific and documented warning signs, JHACH and Dr. Smith continued a campaign of degradation and threats towards the Kowalskis, and specifically, Beata.”
maya kowalski appears in court

Maya Kowalski appears in court Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.
www.courttv.com

Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: 'Take Care of Maya' Trial

The defense presentation continues in Florida as a family fights a hospital whose actions, they say, led to a mother's suicide.
www.courttv.com www.courttv.com
 
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 17: 10/19/23

  • After a day off, jurors returned on Thursday to continue hearing the defense’s case.
  • Dr. Michelle Smith, a doctor at JHACH, testified to her treatment of Maya on Oct. 7-12, 2016.
    • Smith described Beata as cooperative and polite.
  • Dr. Beatriz ‘Teppa’ Sanchez, a critical care doctor at JHACH testified that Maya repeatedly said she needed her medication and that she needed her anesthesia medication.
    • Sanchez said that the Kowalskis told her about traveling to Mexico for ketamine treatments.
    • Sanchez said that she consulted with the hospital’s pain team because she did not feel comfortable giving the high dosages of ketamine that Beata was requesting Maya be given.
  • Johanna Klink, a former RN, said that Beata would not let her check Maya’s blood pressure, and said that Maya was unable to walk because of her CRPS, but she remembered seeing her move her legs on the bed.
    • Klink described Maya as behaving differently when her mother was present.
    • Klink testified that she was bothered by Maya’s use of profanity.
  • Dr. Paul Kornberg testified that he recommended Maya stop taking medication upon discharge.

Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: 'Take Care of Maya' Trial

Posted at 8:51 AM, October 23, 2023
 
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arielilane said:
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 17: 10/19/23

  • After a day off, jurors returned on Thursday to continue hearing the defense’s case.
  • Dr. Michelle Smith, a doctor at JHACH, testified to her treatment of Maya on Oct. 7-12, 2016.
    • Smith described Beata as cooperative and polite.
  • Dr. Beatriz ‘Teppa’ Sanchez, a critical care doctor at JHACH testified that Maya repeatedly said she needed her medication and that she needed her anesthesia medication.
    • Sanchez said that the Kowalskis told her about traveling to Mexico for ketamine treatments.
    • Sanchez said that she consulted with the hospital’s pain team because she did not feel comfortable giving the high dosages of ketamine that Beata was requesting Maya be given.
  • Johanna Klink, a former RN, said that Beata would not let her check Maya’s blood pressure, and said that Maya was unable to walk because of her CRPS, but she remembered seeing her move her legs on the bed.
    • Klink described Maya as behaving differently when her mother was present.
    • Klink testified that she was bothered by Maya’s use of profanity.
  • Dr. Paul Kornberg testified that he recommended Maya stop taking medication upon discharge.

Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: 'Take Care of Maya' Trial

Posted at 8:51 AM, October 23, 2023
Click to expand...

The hospital and the doctors definitely made a lot of mistakes here. However, it's becoming more clear to me how this happened. If Beata really was repeatedly requesting such high doses of Ketamine, I'd refuse as well and wonder what else is going on, given alleged travels to Mexico for it. There are positive patient reports for Ketamine in CRPS, but it's not FDA-approved and especially years ago and especially for children. This case could have been entirely different with just as tragic an ending if the hospital had just given her high doses of ketamine too.

Using Maya's behavior as a barometer, however, is weak. There are any number of reasons Maya's behavior may have changed depending on the presence and presumably distress of her mother.
 
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 20: 10/24/23

  • The defense presentation continues with a variety of doctors who speak to pain management, neuropsychology and Maya’s treatment at John Hospikins All Children’s Hospital.
    • Defense’s Witness #20 Dr. Lisgelia Santana-Rojas, Nemours Children’s Hospital
    • Defense’s Witness #21 Dr. Kelly Lowrey, Pediatric Psychological, Lurie’s Children Hospital
    • Defense’s Witness #22 Dr. Elliott Crane, Anesthesiologist, Stanford University School of Medicine
    • Defense’s Witness #23 Dr. Paola Dees, Pediatric Hospitalist, JHACH

DAY 19: 10/23/23

  • Dr. Elvin Mendez recalled Maya and her mother visiting him at his office. They were seeking a second opinion on a matter regarding immunodeficiency.
    • Maya was in a wheelchair and appeared to be in pain.
    • He was concerned about Munchausen by Proxy because the information he had did not line up with the examination or correlate with what he saw.
  • Pediatric Neuropsychologist Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein testified about meeting with Maya, Maya’s family, and the pain team to discuss care.
    • Beata asked her to review her blogs and fundraisers to better understand Maya’s condition but the doctor preferred to make her own assessment.
    • Said that during evaluations, Beata and Jack (not Maya) answered all her questions; but in interactions without her parents, Maya was able to articulate was was going on.
    • Testified that Dr. Dally Smith was an external provider contracted by DCF, that Dr. Smith was not treating Maya through Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, rather, she was working for DCF.
    • Dr. Katzenstein said she worked with Maya on her goals and that Maya was rewarded for working on goals with things like art supplies, Shopkins toys, and gelato.
  • Pediatric anesthesiologist Dr. Richard Elliott testified that he was concerned about the the very large doses of ketamine that Maya was getting — that they were over 50 times higher than he would give anyone.
    • Said ketamine WAS approved by the FDA to use in low doses.
    • His working diagnosis was that Maya had CRPS.
    • He was aware that the Kowalski’s might be jailed, but his concern was Maya’s safety.
    • Said that he was notified that Maya had had about 50 ketamine treatments before becoming a patient at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
    • Said he never ruled out the possibility that Maya had CRPS but believes she showed some inconsistencies, and was skeptical about her numbers and the symptoms she displayed.

DAY 18: 10/20/23

  • Dr. Zachery Pittsenbarger testified that he touched the top of Maya’s foot very lightly and she began screaming in pain, she then stopped and talked to him normally without any pain during the conversation, and once the conversation ended she went back to moaning and crying and screaming in pain.
  • Det. Stephanie Graham of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office testified that Maya’s dad, Jack Kowalski, was appalled by the behavior of Maya’s mother, Beata Kowalski.
    • Det. Graham recalled a conversation where Jack said he would have Beata move out if Maya could come home.
  • Lindsay Masica, a CPI supervisor with the Florida DCF recalled that she did not allow Jack to bring communion wafers or a razor into Maya’s room because she was concerned there might be liquid ketamine on the communion.
    • She did allow him to bring in body wash, Chapstick, deodorant, and a nail file.
  • Dr. Gadi Revivo with Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago testified that he has never seen full-body CRPS. He’s seen it in a patient’s leg or arm, and had a patient that had pain move from one leg to the other.
Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: 'Take Care of Maya' Trial

Posted at 8:59 AM, October 25, 2023
 
arielilane said:
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES

DAY 20: 10/24/23


  • Pediatric anesthesiologist Dr. Richard Elliott testified that he was concerned about the the very large doses of ketamine that Maya was getting — that they were over 50 times higher than he would give anyone.
    • Said ketamine WAS approved by the FDA to use in low doses.
    • His working diagnosis was that Maya had CRPS.
    • He was aware that the Kowalski’s might be jailed, but his concern was Maya’s safety.
Click to expand...

SBMFF. Was there more to the doctor's statement about Ketamine? His statement contradicts published medical literature, unless he's talking about approval in Mexico or talking about approval in the US for surgery or diagnostic procedures.

Ketamine for the Treatment of Chronic Pain: A Comprehensive Review - PMC

Chronic pain significantly worsens the quality of life. Unlike neuropathic, musculoskeletal, postoperative pain, and cancer pain, chronic primary pain cannot be explained by an underlying disease or condition, making its treatment arduous. This ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"Despite recent discoveries, ketamine remains only approved by the FDA as an anesthetic agent for surgical and diagnostic procedures.30 Since ketamine is widely available, inexpensive, and generic – it is unlikely and cost-prohibitive that any new indication will be approved in the years ahead.25 Nevertheless, off-label usage and research will likely continue to grow as ketamine becomes a more widely sought-after therapeutic agent for chronic pain, mood disorders, and refractory pain."

And from the FDA's website:


I do think this is an important point in the treatment Maya received and the suspicions of the medical staff at the hospital and how this all unfolded.
 
BeginnerSleuther said:
FYI, Sally Smith is an MD, board certified in pediatrics and did a child abuse fellowship it seems. She got her MD from St. Louis University. It doesn't mean she's good at what she does, but she is a physician and is qualified do diagnose any type of physical illness, including CRPS.

www.pnj.com

Netflix's 'Take Care of Maya' puts Dr. Sally Smith back into the spotlight. Who she is

Dr. Sally Smith, the former medical director for Pinellas County (Florida) Child Protective Services, came under fire for her child abuse diagnoses.
www.pnj.com
Click to expand...
Isn't CRPS somewhat difficult to diagnose? I think it's rare in children. I believe it's diagnosed by process of exclusion. I don't think it's diagnosed based on a single exam. MOO


I've had some weird pain stuff, erythromelalgia was one of them. However, the symptoms always occurred at night, which made an actual diagnosis next to impossible. It lasted for several years, but went away after a small piece of toenail was finally removed. But I had it in both feet. I basically was trapped at home after 7 pm.
 
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