Dr Sally Smith from Take Care of Maya claimed 'I am not a horrible person' after receiving backlash
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix, Social Media, Health, Documentaries, Mental Health
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix, Social Media, Health, Documentaries, Mental Health
**Warning: Mention of suicide.**
Dr Sally Smith has defended herself for her role in Maya Kowalski's case documented in Take Care of Maya.
The 2023 Netflix release delves into the battle between the Kowalski family and authorities after parents Jack and Beata were accused of medical child abuse.
Their 10-year-old daughter was placed into state custody for three months in 2016 after they took her to John Hopkins All Children's Hospital in the hopes of her receiving help for a rare disorder.
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Medical director, Dr Sally Smith, was one of the doctors involved in Maya's case and filed the report which accused Jack and Beata of child abuse.
Maya's parents first took her to hospital in 2015 after the 10-year-old started suffering from asthma attacks, headaches, feet cramping and curling and lesions on her legs and arms too.
While doctors were initially uncertain as to what Maya was suffering from, the 10-year-old was later diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and treated in Mexico with a procedure involving ketamine - the procedure not legal in the US.
In 2016, Maya's condition worsened again and her parents rushed her to the John Hopkins All Children Hospital - located in Florida - requesting the same treatment.
Instead of receiving support, Jack and Beata were met with accusations. Beata was accused of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP) - a behavioural disorder and form of child abuse which sees a caregiver exaggerate or make-up symptoms in a child to gain attention.
As a result of Dr Smith's investigation suggesting such abuse, child protective services were alerted and Maya was taken into state care for three months.
Maya's mother later took her own life, writing in her last note to her family that she couldn't 'take the pain being away from Maya and being treated like a criminal'.
Smith defended her role in Maya's case in an interview with The Cut last year, arguing she's 'not a horrible person whose goal in life is to disrupt families'.
She continued: "I have spent my adult life attempting to serve children in my community to ameliorate conditions of abuse and neglect.
"I wish our society did more to help struggling families to provide safe, nurturing homes to their children. I'm not a big proponent of punitive approaches for such families contrary to media portrayals about me."
As well as looking into Maya's case, the documentary also looked into 12 other documented cases which saw Dr Smith accuse parents of abuse, only for the child to later be returned to their care.
However, Dr Smith argued 12 cases is a 'pretty small percentage'.
"My job is not to make mistakes. To my knowledge, I don't have any cases where I've made an incorrect conclusion," she added. "We have children that come to see us that have less serious injuries, where a recommendation is made for a child to be removed for their safety. And the next day, the judge declines that request. Just because they determine they're not going to proceed with criminal charges doesn't mean that there wasn't child abuse or that I quote-unquote made a mistake."
While Dr Smith voluntarily retired last year and a settlement was reached between Dr Smith, her employer and the Kowalski's, the Kowalski family have since decided to sue John Hopkins All Children's Hospital for $220 million.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
You can also call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 at the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline.