The new Netflix documentary Take Care Of Maya, recounts the confusing and heartbreaking story of the Kowalski family between 2016 and 2017. Maya Kowalski, the 10-year-old daughter of Beata and Jack Kowalski, was held for almost 90 days at a hospital over suspicion of child abuse. The separation from their daughter led Beata to develop an adjustment disorder, and later, she died by suicide in January 2017 at the age of 43.
In October 2016, Maya was admitted to John Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. At the time, she and her family were dealing with her complicated chronic pain diagnosis: complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS. CRPS is a rare condition that causes extreme, often burning, pain in the extremities, but can be alleviated with doses of ketamine.
Beata was particularly invested in her daughter's illness and was, from the All Children's doctors perspectives, pushy in treating her daughter's pain with abnormally high doses of ketamine. Sally Smith, a doctor for child protective services evaluated Maya's condition and misdiagnosed her with Munchausen's by proxy, which led to the child being separated from her parents with limited contact. Here is everything to know about Dr. Sally Smith's connection to the Kowalski family's case.
Dr. Sally Smith was regarded as a "doyenne of her field."
Most doctors in Pinellas County, where All Children's is located, regarded Smith as the "doyenne of her field," according to The Cut. Smith was formally asked to investigate Maya's case after a report was made about the Kowalskis, claiming Beata “is believed to have mental issues."
Smith investigated Maya's medical records thoroughly. After discovering Maya had been to about 30 doctors and received a five-day ketamine coma treatment in Mexico, she deemed the Kowalskis to be "doctor shopping" and made an assumption of medical abuse. She theorized that Maya's mysterious, unexplainable pain was not real—and formally diagnosed her with Munchausen's by proxy (a mental disorder that is often linked to child abuse).
It's worth noting that Smith removed children from their homes at one of the highest rates of Florida's counties. Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, who first diagnosed Maya with CRPS, confirmed her diagnosis to Smith in her initial investigation. He also formally warned that a child abuse case would cause "needless and permanent harm to the child and family," per The Cut. Smith filed the case without including Dr. Kirkpatrick's warnings.
After Maya's symptoms did not improve while separated by her parents, her Munchausen's by proxy diagnosis was withdrawn and Smith and other doctors began to believe she was entirely fabricating her symptoms, per The Cut. Beata was also formally evaluated for the diagnosis, and was diagnosed with a depressive mood and adjustment disorder upon being separated from her daughter.
She retired this summer.
Smith never faced any formal, professional consequences for what happened to the Kowalski family. However, according to The Cut, Smith retired this summer and is no longer practicing. In 2018, The Kowalskis sued Smith and the company she worked for, Suncoast Advocacy Services, as well as Cathi Bedi, the social worker assigned to Maya's case.
Smith and Suncoast settled their portion of the case for $2.5 million. The Kowalskis are still pursuing a legal case against John Hopkins All Children's Hospital, which has a court date in September 2023. The documentary states that the Kowalskis' case was made much stronger by Beata's documentation of nearly every conversation she had with her daughter and the hospital during Maya's stay at All Children's.
The Kowalskis were not the only family troubled by Smith's professional opinions.
At the end of Take Care of Maya, a few other families were interviewed about their experiences dealing with being wrongfully accused of child abuse by Smith. According to USA Today, Smith has wrongfully jailed parents for false claims of child abuse and removed children from their parents' care after evaluations that lasted less than 10 minutes. In the documentary, parents claimed their lives were permanently damaged by Smith's accusations.
Smith held her position in child protective services for over 20 years, and was highly regarded by colleagues, per USA Today. She was thought to have an "impossible" role: constantly balancing the protection of a child with the innocence of their parents.
In the same article, Smith denied any problems with her work.
To learn more about the Kowalski's case and Dr. Smith's involvement, you can stream Take Care of Maya on Netflix.
Olivia Evans (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. Her work has previously appeared in The Cut and Teen Vogue. She loves covering topics where culture and wellness intersect. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, running, and watching rom-coms.
