Words can hurt, and false assumptions or accusations can lead to irreparable damage. For the Kowalski family, it did just that. In an upcoming Netflix documentary, Take Care of Maya, the truth behind what led to the death by suicide of Maya Kowalski's mom is brought to light.
In 2015, when Maya was 9, she started to experience extreme headaches and asthma attacks. She had lesions forming on her legs and arms, and her feet began to cramp. Though many doctors were puzzled by what it could be, Maya was eventually diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, which is a rare neurological condition that can cause constant or intermittent pain in the extremities, a burning sensation, and extreme sensitivity to touch.
When one specialist treated her condition with a five-day "ketamine coma," Maya's symptoms drastically improved. So she continued receiving ketamine infusions to control her flare-ups. Until one day in 2016, where she was rushed to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, because of extreme stomach pain. After her parents pleaded for a high dose of ketamine, which is what they knew had helped Maya previously, the hospital staff became concerned, and soon alerted child protective services. Soon after, Maya was placed into state custody and was kept at the hospital, away from her family, for over three months.
More from LittleThings: How An Accusation Of Caretaker Abuse And Munchausen Syndrome Destroyed An Entire Family
Maya's mom was accused of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy, which is a mental disorder where a caretaker makes up fake symptoms or causes real ones so that a child can appear to be ill. She was later found to actually not have the condition, but this accusation along with being kept away from her daughter eventually led to her suicide. The family is sharing their story in the upcoming documentary, which is set to premiere at the Tribeca Festival and then become available to stream June 19.
