Take Care of Maya: The shocking true story behind Netflix documentary

Take Care of Maya is a new documentary on Netflix that tells the tragic story of Maya Kowalski and her family – this is the true story behind it and where Maya is now.

Netflix’s documentary section features numerous films and series that hold up a magnifying glass to the issue of injustice, from 13th and Victim/Suspect to Making a Murderer and Broad Daylight: The Narvarte Case.

It’s always tough to watch, but important nonetheless, highlighting the inequality and corruption that permeates society while often offering a glimmer of hope or a call to action. 

A new entry is a documentary film called Take Care of Maya – with it streaming on Netflix now, here’s what it’s about, the true story of the Kowalskis, and where Maya is now. Warning: Some may find this content distressing.

What is Take Care of Maya about? 

Directed by Henry Roosevelt, Take Care of Maya on Netflix is a documentary movie that tells the story of Maya Kowalski from her family’s perspective. 

You can watch a clip from the documentary below:

As per Tudum: “In 2016, Jack and Beata Kowalski took their daughter, Maya, to a hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. The 10-year-old was admitted to the ER with a severe stomach ache. Instead of a quick hospital stay, Maya was taken from her parents and kept there. 

“The tragedy that unfolded next is the subject of the investigative documentary Take Care of Maya, a troubling exploration of how a fractured healthcare industry tore a family apart.”

The shocking true story behind Take Care of Maya

The devastating true story behind Take Care of Maya centers on Maya Kowalski, whose ordeal started as a child, one who is said to have experienced debilitating pain growing up. 

In 2016, Maya’s parents Beata and Jack Kowalski took their then-10-year-old daughter to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, as she had been suffering from extreme abdominal pain. 

Beata, a registered nurse, requested that the doctors administer a large dose of ketamine, explaining that she and Jack believed Maya had complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and that it was the only way to relieve her of the agony. 

It should be pointed out that this diagnosis didn’t come from nowhere – a local anesthesiologist named Anthony Kirkpatrick, who runs a center focusing on CPRS, diagnosed Maya and suggested the ketamine infusion treatment. 

However, staff raised concerns about the request and the worryingly high recommended dose of the drug, and soon enough Dr. Sally Smith, the medical director of the child protection team for Pinellas County, was brought in to evaluate the case. 

As reported by The Cut: “Smith discovered that Maya’s parents had once taken her to Hospital San José Tecnologico in Monterrey, Mexico, for a five-day procedure that required her to be sedated and intubated to receive high-dose infusions of ketamine.”

But it went on to say that Smith “tended to interpret cases aggressively,” and that “children in Pinellas are removed from their homes at one of the highest rates of Florida’s 67 counties,” in a state that already has high rates compared with the rest of the US. 

Despite a reminder from Kirkpatrick that he had suggested the treatment, Smith believed Maya was a victim of abuse and Beata was diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental illness whereby the caretaker of a child either makes up fake symptoms or causes real ones to make it look like the infant is sick. 

Even though she was visibly in agony, accusations were made that Maya wasn’t in pain. A concerned Kirkpatrick even wrote to a colleague, stating: “I cautioned Dr. Smith about accusing a family member of criminal conduct as she moves forward with her investigation,” adding that it “could result in needless and permanent harm to the child and family.” 

Nonetheless, Beata and Jack were ordered to leave the hospital – Maya was no longer in their care, despite her pleading to have her mom and dad at her side. Even though a court-ordered evaluation ruled that Beata didn’t have Munchausen’s, Maya was kept under state custody.

The battle to get Maya back was tough on the whole family, with Beata not knowing where to turn, as is shown in a clip from Take Care of Maya, which you can watch below: 

Tragically, after nearly three months, Beata died by suicide. In a note, cited by People, she said: “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.”

Just five days after Beata’s death, Maya was released back into the care of her father. Understandably, the Kowalskis have since filed a lawsuit against Johns Hopkins, with a trial set to start in September.

Take Care of Maya explores the case in more detail, looking at the devastating impact the ordeal has had on the family while putting the healthcare and childcare system under the spotlight. 

Where is Maya Kowalski now?

Maya Kowalski, now 17 years old, is still living with her father Jack and brother Kyle in Florida. Her family are now seeking justice over what happened to Beata, taking out a lawsuit against the hospital. 

Greg Anderson, an attorney for the Kowalskis, told People in the same interview: “The only reason that we are able to bring this case [to trial] where every other attempt [of a similar case] in history has failed is because Beata documented everything and read everything.

“I watched the Kowalskis disintegrate and then try to move on without the linchpin – the wife and mother. Beata was a force of nature in taking care of her family. The depth of loss is beyond words.”

Take Care of Maya is available to watch on Netflix now. You can check out some of our other documentary coverage below: 

Who are the Duggars? | Victim/Suspect explained | Missing Dead or Alive explained | True story behind The Playing Card Killer | True story behind Take Care of Maya | HBO’s Burden of Proof explained | How to watch David Fuller: Monster in the Morgue | How to watch the Titanic submarine documentary | How to watch the Hart family murders documentary