Social media users are wondering where Maya Kowalski is now after Take Care of Maya landed on Netflix.
The streaming service's newest "gut-wrenching" medical documentary is a sobering true story that has chilled viewers to the bone.
The true crime series - which premiered on the streaming service on June 19 - follows the story of a girl called Maya Kowalski who suffered from chronic pain which became debilitating.
Back in 2015, hopeless parents Jack and Beata Kowalski frantically searched for answers regarding their daughter's poor health and saw a number of medical professionals.
One doctor diagnosed Maya with CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome) and prescribed her high doses of ketamine, but the drugs failed to work so the Kowalski family traveled to Monterrey, Mexico so that their little one could be put in a ketamine coma.
Watch this clip from the heartbreaking documentary:
The treatment temporarily worked until a year later when Maya sadly relapsed again. Desperate for answers, her parents took her to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
However, things continued to take a shocking turn as the hospital accused Beata - who is a registered nurse - of child abuse, and as a result, the state took custody of the then-10-year-old.
Dr. Sally Smith - medical director for the hospital's child protection team - carried out an investigation and concluded that the mother was experiencing Munchausen by proxy, a mental illness and form of child abuse where a parent makes up false symptoms or causes real symptoms to make it look like their child is ill.
While a psychological evaluation confirmed that she did not have the illness, Beata was still not allowed to see her daughter for over three months. Becoming increasingly despondent, she ultimately ended up taking her own life.
"I’m sorry," Beata allegedly wrote in an email discovered after her passing, per PEOPLE. "But, I no longer can take the pain being away from Maya and being treated like a criminal. I cannot watch my daughter suffer in pain and keep getting worse."
Just five days after her mother's death, Maya was released from the state custody hospital.
At the end of the documentary, viewers see that Maya - who is now 17 years old - resides in Venice, Florida with her father and brother.
She reportedly has full use of her arms and legs again but still suffers from pain due to her condition. In addition to this, a court order has restricted her from using ketamine for her pain relief, which has made her recovery difficult so she uses a routine of extensive exercise to help manage pain.
"I do my best to push through," the teenager told the publication recently. "I’ve already missed a lot, so I want to make the most of life now."
It has been revealed that the family's lawsuit against the hospital is scheduled for trial in September - more than six years after Beata’s tragic death. "For us as a family to move on, we need to fulfill my mom’s wish and fight," Maya said. "I want justice for my mom."
Take Care of Maya is available to watch on Netflix now.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
