The complex relationship between Maya and her mother raised alarm bells. According to Rice, Maya’s physical condition appeared to deteriorate in her mother’s presence, and she was unable to perform tasks that she could do independently before her mother’s arrival. Their interactions were marked by conflict and, at times, defied conventional understanding.
Rice characterized it as “one of the weirdest mother-daughter dyads” she had ever witnessed, akin to a tug-of-war between their wills. Gains made in Maya’s condition during her hospital stay were unlikely to be permanent since she would regress upon returning home.
Beata Kowalski’s persistent search for a medical explanation for Maya’s pain was perceived as an inability to accept her daughter’s underlying psychiatric issues. The care team recommended inpatient psychiatric treatment for Maya upon her discharge and intensive counseling for her mother.
This revealing testimony follows the deposition of Dr. Laleh Bahar-Posey, the emergency room physician who treated Maya on her fateful visit to All Children’s in 2016. In her testimony, Bahar-Posey described Beata’s insistence on administering excessive doses of ketamine and her unyielding attitude.
