Where Is Maya Kowalski Now? Inside Her Life After ‘Take Care of Maya’ Trial

Maya Kowalski’s harrowing health ordeal unraveled into a family tragedy when her mother, Beata Kowalski, died by suicide after being accused of Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

The family’s painful story captured national attention and was chronicled in the 2023 Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya. In 2015, 9-year-old Maya began experiencing asthma attacks and headaches, while lesions formed on her legs and arms. Her mysterious symptoms puzzled doctors, at least one of whom suggested the pain was psychosomatic.

“But Maya would be crying 24/7,” her father, Jack Kowalski, told PEOPLE in 2023. “We knew she wasn’t faking.”

She was eventually diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a rare neurological condition that causes excruciating sensitivity to even slight touch.

In 2016, severe abdominal pain landed Maya at Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital. Her mother requested ketamine treatment, explaining that infusions of the drug had helped Maya in the past; hospital staff reported Beata to the Department of Children and Families, and she was accused of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Maya was placed in state custody and kept in the hospital and away from her family for more than three months.

After accusations of abuse and a lengthy separation from her daughter, Beata died by suicide in January 2017. The following year, Jack filed a lawsuit against the hospital alleging medical malpractice and the family was awarded more than $210 million in damages.

Here’s everything to know about Maya Kowalski, from her rare neurological condition to her family’s legal battle, and where she is now.

Who is Maya Kowalski?

Maya Kowalski was born in Florida to mom Beata, a Polish immigrant, and dad Jack Kowalski. She has a younger brother named Kyle.

Maya began experiencing debilitating pain in 2015: She was 9 years old at the time, and the pain caused her feet to curl and made it nearly impossible for her to walk.

Asthma attacks, severe headaches and lesions on her arms and legs painted a mysterious picture for doctors, some of whom suggested the pain was all in her head.

What medical condition does Maya Kowalski have?

As Maya’s parents searched for answers, they learned about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a rare neurological condition that can cause constant or intermittent pain in the extremities, a burning sensation and extreme sensitivity to touch, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Maya was officially diagnosed with the condition by Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, a Tampa-based anesthesiologist and pharmacologist who specializes in CRPS, which he says can be managed but not cured. CRPS “is an abnormal function of the sympathetic nervous system,” he told PEOPLE. Over time, “your senses get ramped up so if a drop of water touches your skin, it can feel like somebody’s jabbing you with a knife.”

Kirkpatrick informed the Kowalskis that those suffering from CRPS often show elevated levels of glutamate, an amino acid, which can be inhibited by ketamine infusions. “The way he explained it, it’s like rebooting a computer and trying to stop the brain from giving false signals of pain to the extremities,” Jack told The Cut in 2023. Beata researched the experimental treatment for days before agreeing to try it out.

Maya began getting ketamine infusions every month, and her symptoms improved. Kirkpatrick ultimately suggested a five-day “ketamine coma” in an attempt to “reset” her nervous system. In November 2015, the family traveled to Mexico for the risky procedure, which is not approved by the FDA. “It was the only hope we had,” Jack told PEOPLE. Luckily, it seemed to have a positive effect.

“I felt amazing,” Maya recalled to PEOPLE. She continued to receive ketamine infusions as flare-ups occurred.

Why was the hospital concerned about Maya Kowalski?

In October 2016, Maya was checked into the emergency room at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. with debilitating stomach pain. Beata, who was a registered nurse, asked doctors to administer a high dose of ketamine, which she believed was the only effective way to treat Maya’s pain.

Alarmed by her request, hospital staff reported Beata to the Department of Children and Families. According to the hospital’s attorneys, Maya had allegedly received 55 doses of ketamine over a 9-month period, at doses far over the limit approved by the FDA, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The drug has been approved by the FDA primarily as anesthesia and a sedative but has also been used “off-label” for treating depression, PTSD and chronic pain.

“They had a child being given levels of medication they had never heard of before, that the literature did not support,” Howard Hunter, the hospital’s lead attorney, said in court, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Hunter also stated that the hospital “acted out of reasonable caution” while figuring out how to treat Maya.

Ethen Shapiro, another attorney for the hospital, flagged Maya’s ketamine coma treatment to the court as well, pointing out that it carried a 50 percent risk of death, Fox 13 News reported.

When asked on the stand if he was aware of the risk, Maya’s father responded, “There is a risk in every procedure.” He also acknowledged, “They stated it was 50%, but they stated no one ever died from that procedure.”

What happened to Maya Kowalski’s mom, Beata Kowalski?

After Beata’s request for Maya to receive ketamine treatment prompted an investigation by child protective services, she was accused of child abuse and Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), a mental disorder in which a caretaker of a child either makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to “make it appear that the child is injured or ill,” according to Healthline.

After undergoing a court-ordered psychological evaluation, it was determined that Beata did not have MSP, but Maya was still placed in state custody and only allowed minimal contact with her family.

Maya can still recall the last time she saw her mom. “One day I was in the ICU, and my mom kissed me on the forehead and was like, ‘I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ I never saw her again,” Maya told PEOPLE. “I was medically kidnapped. I tried being hopeful, but there was a point where I thought, ‘I’m never getting out of this place.’ ”

Beata was distraught. “She would stay up and research and hardly eat,” Jack told PEOPLE, adding that she began “deteriorating” while apart from Maya, and that when a judge denied her the chance to hug Maya, it “destroyed her.”

After more than 87 days without being allowed to visit her daughter, Beata died by suicide in January of 2017. She was 43.

In the resulting trial, the Kowalski family attorney, Greg Anderson, argued that the decision to take Maya away from her mom “caused [Beata], in the end, to lose completely and utterly her ability to control her maternal instinct, and the fact outweighed the survival instinct.”

The separation also caused a lot of pain for Maya. She testified in 2023 that she felt “infuriated” while kept in state custody, where she was largely denied contact with her parents.

“I remember that my mom was on this phone call and the person who she was speaking to … claimed that I never asked to speak to my mom. That I was doing fine. I was ok in my room. I hadn’t had any questions about why my parents weren’t allowed to see me,” Maya recounted, according to footage of the testimony shared by Fox 9.

“And that infuriated me so much because all I did for days on end was demand to speak to my parents,” she said through tears. “That’s all I wanted to do, and I most certainly wasn’t just sitting in my room. I was crying.”

What was the outcome of Maya Kowalski’s trial?

In 2018, Jack filed a $220 million lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., on behalf of his children and the estate of his late wife, alleging medical malpractice, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

“I was medically kidnapped,” Maya told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, referring to the three months she spent in state custody at the hospital when she was 10. She gave an emotional testimony during the trial about her experience, revealing that hospital staff wouldn’t allow her to speak with her mom in Polish on the phone. “I was told I had to speak English so they could understand,” she testified.

Raised Catholic, Maya said she wasn’t allowed to pray with her mother on the phone either, nor to have sacraments brought to her by a priest.

“They believed my mom was putting ketamine in the wafers and the holy water,” she testified, adding, “They thought my mom was controlling me through religion.” Maya went on, “They never directly told me what was going on. I was stripped from my family.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, the hospital said that their staff is required to notify authorities “if they suspect abuse or neglect,” adding that cases are investigated by child services and a judge, and not the hospital.

“We are determined to prevent any chilling effect on the obligation of mandatory reporters,” it said, “to report suspected child abuse in order to protect the most vulnerable among us.”

In November 2023, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital was found liable in the death of Beata. They were also found liable for several other claims, including false imprisonment, battery and inflicting emotional distress on Maya, according to CourtTV, which live-streamed the decision. The hospital was also found liable for the fraudulent billing of Maya’s father, Jack.

The Kowalski family was awarded more than $211 million in damages. In August 2024, the hospital filed an appeal, asking for a retrial for some of the claims, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Where is Maya Kowalski now?

Five days after Beata’s death, Maya was released into her dad’s custody and returned home to Venice, Fla. Jack told PEOPLE that her health regressed during her time in the hospital, where she was not able to receive ketamine treatments. After her release, a court order prevented her from continuing ketamine infusions.

“We worked with her slowly: water therapy, things like that,” Jack told PEOPLE of the alternative therapies they sought, which he said caused more pain than necessary. “But it was horrible — after losing my wife, I thought my daughter was next.” It took a year and a half until Maya could walk on her own again.

Today, Maya can walk unassisted but continues to suffer from intense flare-ups of CRPS. “I do my best to push through,” she told PEOPLE. “I’ve already missed a lot, so I want to make the most of life now.”

Maya was also very involved in the family’s legal proceedings after her mother’s suicide. When the family went to trial, Maya told PEOPLE, “For us as a family to move on, we need to fulfill my mom’s wish and fight. I want justice for my mom.”

Maya also told NewsNation that she hopes to use her public platform to advocate for those going through “similar situations.”

“Everything that happened at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital was emotional and it is heavy,” she told the outlet. “I know a lot of other people have gone through similar situations and they don’t have the platform to talk. I want to be a voice for the voiceless.”

The family shared their ordeal in 2023’s Take Care of Maya, a Netflix documentary that took a deep dive into their story.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.