Revisiting Kowalski Part Four: The Aftermath

Nobody Should Believe Me

True Story Media

Society & Culture, True Crime, Personal Journals

4.2 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2026

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this final recap episode, we revisit the final months of Maya Kowalski’s sheltering at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and the tragic events that followed. While the dependency case and abuse investigation continued, tensions within the Kowalski family were escalating. After a difficult court hearing in January 2017, Beata Kowalski died by suicide, leaving behind emails asking others to “take care of Maya”. Following Beata’s death, Maya was eventually released to her father’s custody, where she continued to improve and was able to return to school without further ketamine treatment. In the years that followed, the Kowalski family filed a lawsuit against the hospital that would ultimately lead to a high-profile trial, widespread media coverage, and the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya. *** Just a note that today’s episode includes mention and description of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help please call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org *** Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy. Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show! Subscribe on YouTube where we have full episodes and lots of bonus content. Follow Andrea on Instagram: @andreadunlop Buy Andrea's books here. For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	True Story Media.
0:07.2	Just to note that today's episode includes mention and description of suicide.
0:12.2	If you or someone you know needs help, please call 988 or visit 988 lifeline.org.
0:19.7	Before we get into the final episode of our Kowalski Recap series, I wanted to let you know that our new season is coming out in two weeks.
0:28.3	This season is a big one and we'll be releasing it to subscribers in two parts this time, with the first six episodes ready to binge on March 26.
0:37.1	So if you're subscribed on Apple or Patreon, those will be there for you.
0:42.3	In addition to lots of bonus episodes and the show's complete archive.
0:46.4	For now, on with the show.
0:51.2	By early 2017, Maya Kowalski had been sheltered at Johns Hopkins All Children's for three months.
0:57.8	Despite considerable efforts, the courts had failed to find a suitable alternative for her care that all could agree on.
1:04.3	While it was certainly a difficult time, Maya's health was improving, and she'd been completely weaned off the large doses of opioids
1:11.3	and benzodiazepines she'd been receiving. And the allegedly life-saving megadoses
1:16.2	of ketamine she'd been receiving were also a thing of the past. The weaning dosages
1:21.0	she'd received in her early days at Johns Hopkins would be her last. Maya had developed warm
1:26.7	relationships with a number of bedside nurses and staff.
1:29.3	She was particularly close with a nurse called Lisa Rek, who did spa days with Maya and helped her with her Halloween costume.
1:36.3	Maya even nominated Lisa Rek for a Daisy Award, meant to recognize exceptional nursing staff.
1:42.3	It was a horrible situation to have a child at the hospital indefinitely,
1:46.7	but they tried their best to make it a homey experience.
1:50.6	And by this time, Maya was allowed regular visitation from her father and brother, as well as some others,
1:56.0	and was also allowed regular supervised video calls with her mother, Biaata.
2:00.3	And despite the tough circumstances, Maya was proving to be an exceptionally resilient kit.
	...

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