Nobody Should Believe Me

Latest Episodes:

S03 E07: The Believers Part 2 Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

As the Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Childrens trial barrels forward, new information comes to light each day about what really happened to Maya Kowalski during her time in the hospital. In part 2 of The Believers, Andrea digs into the testimony from the doctors at the center of the case and finds medical professionals at odds. Did Maya really have CRPS or was something else going on? With trial watchers choosing sides and digging in: what does the evidence actually tell us?

Andrea also talks more about her conversation with Laura Richards and her co-host Jim Clemente, following up on some of the leads they presented.

NOTE: It came up in court on 11/1 in the rebuttal that Dr. Chopra did NOT attend Harvard Medical School, but rather an institution in India affiliated with HMS. He also clarified that he is a clinical assistant professor at Brown rather than a full professor.

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Read about Dr. Chopra’s beliefs about medical child abuse here: https://painri.com/epidemic-child-abuse-doctors-harming-children/

Crime Analyst: https://www.crime-analyst.com/

Real Crime Profile: https://www.realcrimeprofile.com/

Law & Crime Networks coverage of Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Childrens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZTZxCMy8Oc

To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free, including weekly recaps of the Kowalski trial.

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

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S03 E06: The Believers Part 1 Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode, Andrea seeks an outside perspective on the controversial Maya Kowalski case. Laura Richards, host of Crime Analyst and cohost of the Real Crime Profile podcast, joins Andrea to talk through the complexities and contradictions of the Netflix documentary. The conversation reveals just how polarized interpretations of this case have become. With the verdict in the Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Childrens looming, today we look at what’s been revealed by the both the vast amount of documentation on this case, as well as the trial unfolding before our eyes.

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Megan Phelps-Roper TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/megan_phelps_roper_i_grew_up_in_the_westboro_baptist_church_here_s_why_i_left?language=en

The Witch Trials of JK Rowling: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-witch-trials-of-j-k-rowling/id1671691064

Crime Analyst: https://www.crime-analyst.com/

Real Crime Profile: https://www.realcrimeprofile.com/

Law & Crime Networks coverage of Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Childrens:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZTZxCMy8Oc

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Your Questions About Season 2 Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Host Andrea Dunlop and lead producer Tina Nole dive into listener feedback from season 2 of Nobody Should Believe Me. Addressing questions of gender issues and potential sexism around medical child abuse accusations, Andrea’s guest appearance on Real Crime Profile, pro-cop allegations and more. Plus, Andrea and Tina fill listeners in on what to expect for season 3 and beyond.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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S03 E05: The Women Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

In the flattened version of the Maya Kowalski story that has dominated the headlines, Beata Kowalski is a mother who fell prey to age-old biases against women. This story attaches itself to the well-documented reality that women are all too often not believed when it comes to their own pain, the stories of their own lives, and their professional opinions. Beata is cast as the martyr in Netflix’s “Take Care of Maya” and two other women, Cathy Beady and Dr. Sally Smith, are cast as the villains. Today, we unpack the messy gender dynamics of this case.

Cathy Beady is the social worker with a troubling past who’s been accused of grooming and assaulting Maya Kowalski. What do we know about what happened during Maya’s stay at Johns Hopkins All Childrens? Was Cathy Beady really hellbent on keeping Maya and Beata apart?

Media coverage of the Maya Kowalski story has also done irreparable harm to the life and career of the respected doctor at the center of the controversy: child abuse pediatrician Sally Smith. She’s been accused of violating HIPPA in a single-minded crusade to create a case against Beata Kowalski. But is there evidence that Dr. Smith did anything other than her job? Did she drive Beata to death as the film suggests or is it possible her interventions saved Maya Kowalski’s life?

As we break down the narratives and misinformation surrounding this case we get to the heart of the matter. The Kowalski legal team’s claims that Munchausen by proxy is based on “junk science” and that Beata Kowalski wasn’t guilty of medical child abuse because this form of abuse isn’t even real.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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S03 E04: Retaliation Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Beata Kowalski’s tragic death by suicide in January of 2016 is at the center of the $220 million lawsuit Jack Kowalski has filed against Johns Hopkins All Childrens hospital. But did Beata really take her own life to free her daughter from the hospital keeping her captive as the plaintiff claims? As with everything in this story, the truth is much more complicated. The narrative told in the Netflix film “Take Care of Maya” is far from a complete picture of the harrowing series of events that led to Beata’s death.

In this episode we go through the police reports of the incident and various testimonies of those who were present to fill in the gaps of the days and hours leading up to Beata’s death. We also examine the final court hearing Beata attended, which gives us a glimpse into where the case stood at the time of her death.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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S03 E03: In a Heartbeat Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

In our third episode, we look at a central piece of the story that was left unfinished at the time of Beata Kowalski’s death: the police investigation into her for medical child abuse.

Along with Detective Mike Weber and our anonymous Florida pediatrician friend, we unpack shocking new details from the police investigation and from Jack Kowalski’s interview the Detective Stephanie Graham. Was Jack really just being pressured to throw his wife under the bus? Or did he have suspicions of his own about her?

We also unpack some of the many discrepancies in Maya's medical history and the troubling behaviors of her mother Beata, showing that that this pattern of deceptive behavior went way beyond the question of whether her daughter’s diagnosis of CRPS was correct or not

As the Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Children’s trial unfolds in real time, we examine the facts of the case as they stood when Beata died and show how the prevailing media narrative about this case is getting it all wrong.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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S03 E02: Shelter Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

As the Maya Kowalski case heads to trial, we dig into the massive trove of documents about this case and begin to unpack what we know about what really happened during Maya Kowalski’s fateful stay at Johns Hopkins All Childrens in October 2016.

The Netflix documentary about the case—and the prevailing media narrative---would have you believe that Maya was ripped from her parents by a corrupt system, and that this could happen to any parent of a sick child. But did Maya really have a deadly disease for which she required the massive amounts of ketamine and other drugs she was being given? Was the hospital unfairly biased against Beata Kowalski because she was difficult, or was something more sinister at play?

We talk to national law enforcement expert on medical child abuse, Detective Mike Weber, as well as a Florida pediatrician who helps us unravel some of the myriad strange details about Maya’s medical history.

The beginning of our multi-part deep dive into the case reveals the shocking events that led up to the family separation.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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S03 E01: Special Report: Watching Take Care of Maya (re-release) Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Warning: This content includes references to suicide and child abuse. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7. You can also visit 988lifeline.org for additional resources and support.

As the Jack Kowalski v. Johns Hopkins All Childrens trial gets underway today in Sarasota, FL, we revisit our conversation with top experts Bea Yorker, Dr. Mary Sanders, Detective Mike Weber, and survivor Jordyn Hope about “Take Care of Maya” the Netflix documentary about the Maya Kowalski case. Today we introduce our third season of Nobody Should Believe Me, where we will delve into the complex notion of “false accusations” of medical child abuse, getting into everything we’ve uncovered about the Maya Kowalski case and the broader conversations happening around the nation. Is there really an epidemic of over-diagnosis of medical child abuse, or are offenders slipping through the cracks?

Andrea is a finalist for the Signal Awards! Best Host - Documentary Category: PLEASE VOTE HERE: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2023/shows/craft/best-host-documentary

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free.

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Unabridged Conversation with Leah McGowan Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

In today's bonus episode, Andrea talks to family law attorney Leah McGowan about family and juvenile court and all of the many complications within those systems that create barriers for helping victims of medical child abuse.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Unabridged Conversation with Bea Yorker Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

In Andrea’s full conversation with law professor and nurse Bea Yorker, they discuss the complexities of medical child abuse, their work with survivors, and debunk some of the most common misconceptions about Munchausen by proxy/ medical child abuse.

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Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

To support the show, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe where you can listen to exclusive bonus content and access all episodes early and ad-free.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

***

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