‘Take Care of Maya’ trial: CRPS takes center stage on day 1 of witness testimony
VENICE, Fla. - On the first day of witness testimony in a $200 million case against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, jurors heard from friends and relatives about Maya Kowalski’s experience with a rare, debilitating condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and how ketamine treatments impacted her health.
Using photos, Maya Kowalski’s lawyer, Greg Anderson, brought Maya’s journey with CRPS to jurors.
"What’s significant there about Maya’s feet?" he asked.
"They are a lot more straight than they were," answered said Kyle Kowalski, Maya’s brother.
"What were they like before?" Anderson questioned.
"They were turned in," Kyle responded.
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Kyle detailed Maya’s struggles and what he and others viewed as a turn around after a trip to Mexico for intensive ketamine treatments.
Maya's brother Kyle Kowalski testifies in court.
"Maya was unable to have control with her legs at this point she was able to move them on her own," said Kyle.
"Was she getting stronger?" asked Anderson.
He responded, "She most definitely was."
While Maya remained in a wheelchair, those testifying told jurors Maya was improving.
Family photo shows Kyle helping Maya try to walk.
"The lesions started to disappear and got better, the movement got better. She was also a lot happier," said Kyle.
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Maya was admitted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital following a health setback. She was taken into state custody after staff made child abuse allegations against her mother, Beata Kowalski.
"I remember Maya talking about how they didn’t treat her well and how they were talking behind her back," said Kyle.
One of the few people allowed to visit Maya was her elementary school teacher, Jackie Detert.
Maya's teacher Jackie Detert testifies in court.
"There was never an, ‘Oh, hey, hi Jackie, it’s really good to see you glad you’re here to teach Maya today. She really needs someone to see her.’ Never that reception. Very cold," Detert stated.
Detert recalled the staff’s demeanor at Johns Hopkins All Childrens as, "Indifferent, sometimes cold. Very disconnected. Very impersonal."
She continued lessons with Maya inside the hospital. She said would call Maya’s mother afterward and recalled the pain she felt from the conversations.
Family photo shows May with her mother and brother.
"It was too much, and she so desperately wanted to be the one to see Maya," she said.
After not being allowed to see her daughter for 87 days as the child abuse allegations were being investigated, Beata Kowalski took her own life, prompting the Kowalski’s to file the lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
Court will not be in session on Monday due to a religious holiday and testimony will resume on Tuesday.