Take Care of Maya: Quand l'hôpital fait mal

This popped up on Netflix when I was looking for something to watch, other than the brief synopsis I didn't know anything more. I live in Australia and had not heard about this case.

Wow... to say I was furious by the end is an understatement. I understand that the safety of a child is always paramount but the hospital and doctors not taking responsibility for their part in what happened is disgusting. I don't know how they sleep at night.

I feel terrible for the Kowalski family and any family that has had to deal with what is obviously a flawed system.

As a race we have come so far, but as human beings we lack the compassion necessary to elevate ourselves to the next level. The society we have created is now out of control and it seems that money and power are our driver.

As a social worker in the UK I can understand why there would be concern over a young child having large and Frequent doses of Ketamine but this decision did not stem from the mother, Ketamine was prescribed by a Doctor! Her mum was not obtaining or administering this drug illegally. Therefore, the hospitals argument over diagnosis and care should Have been between professionals. They should have come to an agreement on how best to treat Maya, including the parents in any decision making. The mum posed no threat to Maya in hospital, therefore, her Visitation rights should not have been stopped.

There's a condition that has left your daughter crippled, you find a physician, who alleviates the ripples, it's a treatment of extremes, but it generates the means, leaves you happy and relieved, a little tickled. Alas remission takes you to emergency, where ignorance and blindness costs some fee, as your world is ripped and shattered, leaves you pulled apart and tattered, as authorities command, mandate, decree. The result destroys the lives it should protect, and incompetence has led to great neglect, hurdles layered to inflict, increasing pain and more conflict, turns out there's many who have had their lives all wrecked.

Powerful and moving and somewhat concerning.

I suffer from CRPS.

I also have other medical issues that end me in the hospital. I have to explain to each doc that comes in what CRPS is. EACH TIME. Noone wants to believe you. You lose friends, relationships and family members. And most medical people think your lying or it's in your head.

This is why it's nickname is "The Suicide Disease.

I've never wanted to throw something at my tv so bad before. I feel for this family. Especially for Maya and the loss she has suffered. Stress can trigger a CRPS flare up. Just like the hurricane did.

The ignorance and arrogance of these doctors are unreal.

Great documentary.

As "Take Care of Maya" (2023 release; 103 min.) opens, It's "February 24, 2021" as we are introduced to a guy named Jack. He muses "There is nothing that could prepare me for what I went through." We then go back in time: Jack remembers meeting Beata, and eventually they have 2 kids, a girl and a boy. The girl, Maya, suffers from a strange illness when she is 9... At this point we are less than 15 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from director Henry Roosevelt ("Tough Guys"). Here he examines the phenomenon currently referred to as medical child abuse (a/k/a Munchausen's by proxy). Jack and Beata bring Maya to the ER at Johns Hopkins All Children's, and next thing we know the hospital calls in Children Protective Services, and things only get worse from there.. I mean, you have to see it for yourself because otherwise you won't believe it. (The fact that Florida outsources its privatized child welfare service to a third party should be an INSTANT red flag, but hey that's Florida for ya.) The results are as predictable as they are preventable. Families shredded apart? No worries. Lives destroyed? Who cares. I honestly don't know how some of these people can sleep at night. This documentary is bound to get under your skin, if not outright infuriate you. Don't say I didn't warn you!

"Take Care of Maya" premiered recently at the Tribeca, to immediate critical acclaim. There is good reason why this documentary is rated 91% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It started airing on Netflix a few days ago, which is where I saw it. If you are in the mood for a medical=themed documentary that is equally heartbreaking as it is infuriating, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.