“Take Care Of Maya” – Thoughts On The Netflix Documentary
It’s been trending on Netflix… I’ve seen people posting about it on Facebook. Because of that, I did add it to “My List” on Netflix. But I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from Take Care Of Maya. I didn’t read the synopsis. And I didn’t pay much attention to the comments happening on social media. Yesterday, Dub mentioned that he and Kelsey watched it. So I decided it was time to check it out.
I had to take the pup to the vet yesterday, but once I got home, we snuggled up on the couch. Once I opened up Netflix, I decided I had enough time to check it out. Again, I had NO clue what I was getting into. In all honesty, I think I was expecting it to be about some sort of crime the parents had committed against their child. I don’t know why I thought that. Note: spoilers below!
Take Care Of Maya – A Netflix Documentary
Once the documentary started, I still wasn’t sure where it was headed. As it got more into the story, I wondered if the mom was doing something to the girl. Since Beata Kowalski was a nurse, it did initially make me wonder. I know at some point they brought up Munchausen by proxy. Immediately, I thought of Gyspy Rose. Do you remember that bizarre story?! I began to think the reason the mom wasn’t in the documentary was because she was in prison. Man, was I WRONG!
As the story progressed, I felt bad that I ever had negative thoughts toward the mom. It was truly a mom who was doing everything in her power to help her daughter. And it drove her to give up completely. Such a heartbreaking result.
There are many ins and out to the story. The parents fight for their daughter’s healthcare needs… and while they were able to find her some relief, it wasn’t a permanent fix. Once they had to go on to pursue additional treatment, the roadblocks seem endless. And it was so frustrating when it felt like the healthcare professionals weren’t even taking the parents’ concerns into consideration.
My Thoughts
There are a lot of thoughts going through my head after watching Take Care Of Maya. It’s infuriating that a parent’s concern for their child could lead to child protective services taking away a child. I understand there are cases where that may need to happen. But the fact that in Maya’s case, it really came down to ONE woman making the call that kept these parents from their child. It never should have happened. There are so many other things that could have happened. They didn’t even take into account the previous treatments and opinions of the health professionals that saw Maya originally– the doctor who actually KNEW what was wrong and diagnosed her!
I know that medical abuse is a thing. Again, I remember hearing the Gypsy Rose story. BUT– my mind was blown what happened to Maya isn’t rare. There were other families that spoke on the documentary. One man even said his dad had been in prison for 26 years. TWENTY-SIX YEARS?!
My biggest frustration?
The fact that truly concerned parents can have their kids taken away from them for pushing to get medical answers… and yet there are kids that are continually being abused, and it seems a blind eye is turned to that. I’ve seen cases where they ignore the problem…. and next thing you know, the child is dead.
It’s heartbreaking to think Maya’s mother felt she had no choice but to end her life. And it’s frustrating to see the way the system can have the upper hand.
And my heart breaks for Maya, her dad, and her brother. The frustration they have been drug through as they try to pursue legal action. It is almost impossible for them to even try to move past the tragedy and try to rebuild a new “normal”. Not that their lives will ever be back to normal, but no one should have to go through all that they have been through. I pray that their court case gets handled soon.
Being A Parent
I’m not a parent (biologically). I can’t even imagine what parents have to go through. And I hate to think that you’d have to even be afraid to take your child to doctors or hospitals. I feel like if I did have a child, I would fight for answers and to relieve my child’s pain. It’s no where near the same… but you all know how much I love my pups. They are like my children, and I just had to stand my ground with a vet about my dog’s care after a recent surgery. That alone left me feeling frustrated and emotional.
I’m not sure what the answer is… but I hope this knowledge will help others in the future.
If you haven’t watched it, I definitely recommend you take the time to watch Take Care Of Maya. It is eye opening, heartbreaking… and so many other emotions in one.
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