The 2023 Netflix 2023 documentary Take Care of Maya is a disturbing story focusing on the Kowalski family and their young daughter Maya. The film explains Maya’s complicated medical issue, known as CRPS, or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
This rare neurological disease would cause Maya to experience extreme pain, cramping, and headaches after even the smallest of injuries, and her parents, Jack, and Beata Kowalski, struggled to find the correct care for her.
Beata, a registered nurse, would keep careful records of her daughter’s illness, and an expert in the field would eventually diagnose it.
When Maya’s illness flared up one fateful evening, her father took her to the children’s hospital, but they became suspicious after speaking with Beata, and child protection services were called.
Under the assessment of Doctor Sally Smith, young Maya would be taken away from her parents and placed into state custody. The hospital staff and CPS workers felt that Maya was a victim of Munchhausen by Proxy. This psychological condition causes parents or carers to impose medical ailments onto a child to convince them they are ill.
Maya would be placed under the care of a Social Worker, and that worker was Catherine “Cathi” Bedy. Maya would not see her parents for over three months, and her mother, Beata, would be so traumatized by the separation and the suspicion against her that she would commit suicide.
The family would eventually launch a lawsuit against the hospital, Dr. Sally Smith, and Social Worker Bedy, and this article will answer the question where is Catherine “Cathi” Bedy from Take Care of Maya Now?
Who is Catherine “Cathi” Bedy?
Catherine Bedy was the social worker assigned to Maya Kowalski after she was taken into state care after her hospital stay. However, an article in the Tampa Bay Times states that Bedy had previously been involved in a controversial situation in her previous role managing foster-care children for Suncoast.
Bedy had been arrested on child abuse charges in 2007 after allegedly holding a ten-year-old child on the floor and covering his face with a towel. The report would say that Bedy “grabbed the boy’s head, causing him to fall down,” and “placed both knees on the boy’s chest.”
Bedy would not comment on the incident and said she did not use her knees on the child.
How was Catherine “Cathi” Bedy involved in the Maya Kowalski case?
Bedy would be assigned to Maya Kowalski as her social worker after the child was taken from her parents and placed into state care. Bedy would interact with Maya, spending time with her and reporting to Dr. Sally Smith.
In an article by news outlet The Cut, Maya reported that Bedy would once enter her room with a nurse and ask her to undress so they could take pictures of her for a court appearance. Maya would refuse, and Bedy would forcibly “remove her pants and shirt.”
Maya would report this incident at a court proceeding.
Where is Catherine “Cathi” Bedy now?
Bedy’s Linkedin profile states she lives in Clearwater, Florida. It also says she is employed at OBGYN Associates as a licensed clinical social worker.
What happened to Catherine “Cathi” Bedy after the case?
The Kowalski family would bring a lawsuit against Bedy, and the judge, in this case, would find there was evidence against Bedy. In early 2023, Suncoast and Dr. Sally Smith would settle their share of the punitive damages and pay 2.5 million dollars in restitution.
The case against Bedy and the All Children’s Hospital is pending to go to court at the time of writing.
The trial begins in September 2023.
Cathy Bedy should never be able to work in a medical/ social work environment ever again. Unfortunately I don’t find surprising as Florida is a privatized state from medical to prison system. It is the most disgusting state I had to live in. Cathi and Sally Smith both belong behind bars. This is all just so criminal and they get away with it. My heart breaks for Mya’s family and all the others those evil women have infected like a plague .
The doctor and Cps should be ashamed of themselves, why didn’t they get a second opinion before taking their daughter away, her mother would still be alive!!! I wish the family well and happiness! Maya I hope your health gets better, I’m sorry bout your Mom!
What a POS… now why isn’t this monster in jail for actually child abuse?! I really hope these MONSTERS get the karma they deserve
Wow this so called good??? Hospital hires criminals and calls them qualified staff??? Appalling animal hospitals have a better ethical and professional code of honor. With respect to the treatment of The Maya case and other families that have been victimised that hospital should be closed down!!! And made accountable for the crimes they have commited!! Third world countries show more respect and honesty!!!!!!
Bedy seemed to be a sadist! She told Maya that her mother was in a mental institution that she (Maya) was going to be sent to foster care and that she (Bedy) was going to adopt her. Can you imagine the terror felt by the little girl imagining a life with that unhuman woman? Shame on her. Shame on Smith. Shame on all who did not take proper care of the girl and her family.
Rest in peace, Beate.
I am absolutely disgusted, disappointed and terrified of what “the state” is able to do on the whim of a mentally distributed employee! This is 100% unacceptable and the laws need to be changed immediately! There needs to be a ton more evidence and more then 1 persons opinion before “the state” is able to uproot a child and destroy a family!
Maya We are in your side, and I will make all my effort to go and support you in tampa on september 2023. Other than that only thing I can say God has the victory.
Wow! Just incredibly crossing the line and inserting yourself and unprofessional manner – Dr. Bedy.
(If the trial ever takes place, I will be interested to hear all of the evidence and eyewitness account testimony.) As far as daughter Sally Smith goes, her license should be stripped and there should be multiple investigations going on into her history of separating children and parents in the legal system with the department of family and children services in her position as a consulting position through Suncoast and John’s Hopkins, all children’s hospital and Saint Petersburg, Florida. I feel like these two women collaborated and had a sense of cockiness about what they were doing. That is just unbelievable. Everyone should want to be an advocate for children but rushing to judgment and not having the expertise of diagnostics and rare medical conditions means that specialists must be called in and most of these cases so the child can be evaluated. You should never want to immediately call the department of family and children services without fact-based medical evidence and not simply just your gut feeling or your intuition. No child should be put at risk, but they can certainly be hospitalized and evaluated over the course of days while the state and the hospital gets the right people in place to do an investigation. I don’t know how either one of these women can live with themselves in the role they played here with the Kowalski family. Sad and disturbing….
Florida has a hateful value system.
She MUST be in prison
How absolutely horrific, I hope Bedy and Smith and get their just desserts! Perhaps an ugly cancer crawls up their asses and devours them from the inside. .
Is there any decency in Florida or all they all as ignorant and stupid as its leadership?
Both of them should burn in hell, I cried during the whole video. Maya be strong because Jesus Christ loves you, your brother and your father. I know it’s very hard for the three of you but take good care of your father..
Cathi Bedy should never be allowed to work in the medical industry or be around children ever again. I can’t believe that All Children’s Hospital is still allowing her to work at the hospital. Her Linkedin profile states she is still working there. The Hospital needs to do the right thing and report her to the state and FIRE her. This is disgusting and I would never ever allow anyone I loved to step foot in that hospital. DO THE RIGHT THING!!!! My condolences and prayers go out to the Kowalski’s and other families that have been impacted by this.
Cathy Bedi needs to be charged. Her behaviour should have been a tip off to clueless hospital administrators. Medicine for profit is what creates this bullshit. Florida literally is a shithole.