The father of teenager Maya Kowalski, who was separated from her family as a child and held in a Florida hospital, has made an emotional statement about his daughter’s condition at the time of her detention.
Jack Kowalski took the stand in a $220 million lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to tell the court that his daughter’s chronic illness caused her to “scream in pain” while showering.
Maya, 17, suffered from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and was being treated in hospital for the agonizing disease when doctors accused her parents of faking her symptoms.
She was deported by the state and was not allowed to see her family for almost three months. During this time, her mother, Beata Kowalski, fell into a deep depression and ultimately took her own life before she could ever see her daughter again.
The family’s heartbreaking story is the focus of an explosive Netflix documentary, “Take Care of Maya,” as well as the multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the hospital that began last month.
Jack Kowalski told the court that his daughter’s condition was so real that she “screamed in pain” after showering as he took the stand in a $220 million lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
On Monday, Jack Kowalski testified that his daughter’s condition is real, Fox News reports.
He said: “If she took a shower, the drops of water would make her scream.” “They put a sheet over her legs and she screamed.”
The father described how his daughter’s body began to “deteriorate.”
He said, “You know your child.” Your child is not going to fake it and play outside with my friends and just sit around and watch your body deteriorate; Plus, you don’t cause any lesions to your body yourself.’
He also insisted that he and his wife, who was a nurse, always had their daughter’s best interests at heart.
He added: “Beata was looking for the answer. “She knew there was nothing wrong with Maya’s head.”
Maya was released from her parents’ care after hospital staff became suspicious of the dose of ketamine her mother was desperate to give her for the excruciating chronic pain.
The Florida Department of Children and Families and a state judge confirmed hospital staff’s suspicions of “medical child abuse” and placed Maya under the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families. She was housed at the center.
Maya Kowalski (pictured left) was held at a Florida hospital after staff suspected her mother Beata (center) might be faking symptoms of her chronic pain
Maya’s mother Beata (right) took her own life after she was diagnosed with depression and an adjustment disorder after being separated from Maya for almost three months
But Kowalski told the court that Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, who prescribed the treatment, was informed that the drug was safe and that Maya had improved after taking it.
He said: “He explained the procedure, he talked about how it’s been around for quite some time, he mentioned that it’s used for a lot of things and that it’s safe. “There’s the side effect when they come out that “It’s a hallucination for a short time, but then everything goes back to normal.”
However, under cross-examination he admitted that he was aware that there was a risk associated with the drug.
The court was also played an interview with Sheriff’s Deputy Graham in which Kowalski admitted that he had noticed that Maya would suddenly develop symptoms of pain in the presence of her mother.
Kowalski was cross-examined as part of a civil lawsuit against the hospital that was filed in Venice, Florida.
As part of the lawsuit, the family alleges that Maya was filmed for 48 hours and, on another occasion, stripped down to her underwear and photographed with the permission of a guardian or the guardianship court.
AndersonGlenn LLP, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Kowalski family, confirmed that the family is seeking $55 million in compensatory damages and $165 million in punitive damages.
Catherine Bedy was named as a defendant alongside the hospital’s children’s social worker, but she has since been excluded from the case for an unspecified reason.
The hospital’s defense is expected to focus on the staff’s status as mandatory reporters, required by state law to call the abuse hotline if they have “good cause,” the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Maya Kowalski (pictured at a previous hearing) and her family are demanding $220 million from the Florida hospital over the ordeal
The shocking situation of the Kowalski family was covered in an explosive Netflix documentary
Ethen Shapiro, who is part of the hospital’s defense team, previously stated that the decision to remove Maya was made by the child welfare system, not the medical facility.
The hospital released a statement to saying, “Our priority at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is always the safety and privacy of our patients and their families.”
“As a result, we follow strict federal privacy laws that limit the amount of information we can release about any given case.”
“Our first responsibility is always to the child placed in our care.” Our employees are required by law to notify the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) if they suspect abuse or neglect.
“It is DCF and a judge – not Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital – who will investigate the situation and make the final decision on what course of action is in the best interest of the child.”
“We are committed to preventing any chilling effect on reporting suspected child abuse to protect the most vulnerable among us.”