When Maya Kowalski was 10 years old, the once-vibrant Florida girl began exhibiting a troubling array of ailments: her feet began to cramp and curl inward, she couldn't stop coughing, headaches nearly disabled her, and lesions appeared on her its limbs. Her loving parents, Jack and Beata, weren't desperate even for a cure, but simply for a diagnosis of what ailed her beloved firstborn. For Beata, a Polish immigrant and nurse known for her direct nature, it was yet another challenge to overcome, another medical mystery to unravel.
What would unfold over the next few years was a nightmare that even the ever-prepared Beata could not predict, a complicated story with a heartbreaking and totally unfinished conclusion that should terrify everyone. First-time filmmaker Henry Roosevelt tries to unravel what happened to the Kowalskis (and, as the film ultimately alleges, what happened to many other American families) in the documentary "Take Care of Maya," a harrowing look and ultimately , incomplete to an incredible true story.
Director: Henry Roosevelt
If the nuances of this story—sick child, dedicated mother, a family story with unexpectedly wide-ranging implications—sound familiar, you may have already read Dyan Neary's excellent 2022 article in The Cut or one of Daphne Chen's articles in The Cut. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. , and know where this story ends. And while Roosevelt doesn't try to obscure the tragedy that consumes the final act of the documentary, the pains with which the filmmaker strives to unwind his film in a linear fashion, all the better for trying to find the truth in a complex story, are a wise choice.
Less effective are the various perspectives that Roosevelt plunges into as he tells that story. What happened to Maya and Beata has inspired (and likely will continue to inspire) all kinds of controversy, from Maya's eventual diagnosis and the Kowalskis' treatment to the actions of a local hospital and the County Child Protection Team. Pinellas for debate, but Roosevelt's film wavers between taking a clear stance on any of the issues at hand.
Not that that's necessary for a documentary, where objectivity would usually prevail, but Roosevelt tries to have it both ways, delving into the lives of the Kowalskis while also including surveillance footage of the many stay-at-homes. Maya at the hospital who seem to slyly refute the family's opinion. personal experience. That means it's up to viewers to draw their own conclusions, but "Take Care of Maya" doesn't provide enough information to allow for that. What he provides, however, is heartbreaking and infuriating, a document of a bizarre tragedy that seems destined never to come to full closure for anyone involved.
The facts, as slippery as the terms may be in this case, are as follows and are perfectly laid out in Roosevelt's film: After Maya began experiencing her ailments, few doctors could pin down a diagnosis until Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick offered one that came complete with a controversial "cure." Kirkpatrick alleged that Maya had CRPS ("complex regional pain syndrome"), a rare form of chronic pain that tends to affect girls more often and, like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, is often misconstrued. to the point of mockery. To cure Maya, Kirkpatrick started her on a ketamine regimen, eventually ending with a dose so intense that she was destined to put her in a coma for five days.
When Maya woke up, she felt better until she stopped. Months after her coma, Beata and Jack took her to a local hospital for treatment, where several doctors, nurses and social workers finally concluded that Maya was not sick and that the meticulous and direct Beata was actually the sick one, suffering from Munchausen's syndrome. by proxy (hello, "The Law"). For almost three months, Maya remained in the hospital, where, ironically, her insurance company was billed for her CRPS treatment, while her family, especially Beata, stayed away from her and the state of Florida ruthlessly investigated. .
Roosevelt has a wealth of material to work with to tell this story, thanks to Beata's detailed notes and audio recordings, as well as a series of interviews with various talking heads, and even statement material from any lawsuits to be filed. They bristle in about five different ways.
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