In a landmark ruling, Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital in Florida has been held responsible for a mother’s death, a case that gained notoriety through the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya,” as reported by CourtTV and numerous local news outlets.
What Happened: The ruling, as reported by People, found Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital accountable for the wrongful death of Beata Kowalski, and for causing emotional distress to her and her daughter, Maya. The hospital faced several charges, including false imprisonment, battery, and fraudulent billing of Maya's father, Jack Kowalski. The court awarded the family over $211 million in damages.
The Kowalski family alleged that the hospital played a pivotal role in separating Maya from her family, which led to Beata’s untimely death.
Why It Matters: While Maya was undergoing treatment at the hospital, the staff reported Beata to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) after she requested a specific line of treatment for Maya. This led to accusations of Munchausen syndrome by proxy against Beata. Even after a psychological evaluation disproved the diagnosis, Beata was held in state custody and kept away from her family for over three months.
Beata tragically ended her life in January 2017 after being separated from her daughter for more than two months. Greg Anderson, the attorney representing the Kowalski family, stated that the events orchestrated by the hospital led Beata to lose her maternal instinct, which he argued, was more compelling than her survival instinct.
The defense team for Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital stated in a media release that they had adhered to Florida’s mandatory child abuse reporting law and complied with DCF and court orders. They reiterated their commitment to protecting vulnerable children and pledged to continue defending the care provided to Maya.
Image via Shutterstock
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