The Medical Kidnapping of Maya Kowalski

Maya Kowalski, a ten-year-old girl suffering from a rare and painful condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), was separated from her family after staff at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital accused her mother, Beata, of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Devastated by the loss of custody and the court's refusal to let her even hug her daughter, Beata committed suicide in January 2017, shortly before a leading specialist confirmed that Maya’s medical condition was genuine. Following a long legal battle, a jury in 2023 found the hospital liable for the tragedy and awarded the Kowalski family a historic $261 million in damages.