Capital Caring Hospice in Greenbelt, Maryland.
She was born on May 6, 1961 in Zanesville, Ohio and was the only child of Francis (Frank) Anthony and Elizabeth (Betty) Helen Leskuski. The family made their home in Buchannon, West Virginia where Dona grew up and attended school. Dona was a highly intelligent and inquisitive child whose love of learning started at an early age. She loved to read Webster’s dictionary and quiz her parents with her newly acquired vocabulary.
Her mother made sure to expose her to many different things such as music
lessons, girl scouts, Hungarian cooking and late night treats like staying up to
watch the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Her early career aspiration was to
be a comedian and follow in the footsteps of Joan Rivers! In school, Dona
participated in the marching band, where she played the trombone, and had a
close group of friends who were inseparable.
Although, she tragically lost her mother when she was only 12 years old, the
many lessons her mother taught her would serve her well throughout her adult
life. Her mother taught her to be kind and well poised and gave her confidence
and encouragement to explore new things. She studied French in high school and
spent her last semester in France as a foreign exchange student. After graduating
from high school, Dona courageously set off on an adventure and drove with her
best friend Kathie to Florida to attend college in Miami. At the end of her
freshman year, she endured yet another tragedy, the loss of her father. Feeling
alone and orphaned after the loss of her parents she remembered the example of
her hard working father and her mother who made her feel should could do
anything, and she pressed forward. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Marine
Sciences from The University of Miami, and then after working as a rehab aide in
a local hospital, she returned to school and received a master’s degree in Speech
Language-Pathology, from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.
Following graduate school she moved to Alexandria, Virginia and began her career
as a Speech Therapist at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland.
Her warm personality, compassionate spirit and exceptional gift of serving others
resulted in the formation of many lifelong colleagues and friends.
She always dreamed of being a physician, and after 12 years of working as a
speech therapist she was accepted to West Virginia School of Osteopathic
Medicine, and left the Maryland area to embark on another courageous
adventure. She loved her medical school courses and excelled in her clinical
internships. She received the Intern of the year award in 2002, and served as the
class Secretary. She graduated with honors from medical school in 2002 and went
on to complete her residency in internal medicine at the Geisinger Medical Center
in Danville, Pennsylvania. She received the Most Compassionate Resident Award
in 2003 and 2004. Even during the rigors of her medical training Dona found time
to serve others and went on a medical mission to Guatemala in 2004. She then
completed a three year fellowship at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland,
Ohio where she was trained by the best in the field of Palliative Care Medicine.
In 2007 she moved back to the Maryland area where she began working as an
Attending Palliative Care Physician for Capital Caring. During her years at Capital
Caring, Dona assumed many roles with increasing responsibilities. She was the
Director of an Out-Patient Palliative Clinic, at the Washington, Hospital Center,
Medical Director of Home Care in Largo, Medical Director of the inpatient Hospice
Unit at Providence Hospital and the Medical Director of the inpatient Hospice Unit
in Greenbelt, MD. During her tenure at Capital Caring she provided fellowship
training in Palliative Medicine to dozens of physicians, and educated residents,
nurse practitioners and nursing staff on hospital palliative care. She found the
time to come back to Prince George’s Hospital to educate her former colleagues
on hospice and palliative care as well. She performed numerous speaking
engagements on various medical topics in her field at medical conferences,
workshops and seminars. She also had many scholarly articles published in
medical journals to her credit.
Dona was a born again Christian and a devoted and faithful member of Real Life
Church in NW Washington, DC for many years, where she served as a head usher,
and brought in her prize chili on pot-luck events. She loved her church family and
went with them on a spiritual journey to Israel where she was baptized in the
Jordan River, placed prayers in cracks of the Western Wall, a Jewish Holy site, and
savored the rich cultural and spiritual experience of walking in the Holy Land. The
trip so impacted her spiritually that she was learning to speak Hebrew.
Dona was an animal lover and had many pets throughout her life. Her very
special Don Pierre, a toy poodle from her childhood lived to be 22 years old.
Nathaniel Blake her large English Sheepdog held a special place in her heart. He
was not only strikingly handsome, but exceptionally smart and loyal. But it was
her most recent pets, the two 20 pound cats, she called “The Boys”, Gabriel and
Superman, who brought her the most comfort. The boys nestled close to her and
provided her with so much love, companionship and comfort during her illness.
Family and friends were very important to Dona. She was very happy to have
reconnected with her Aunt Jean and cousin Shirley in recent years. This gave her
the opportunity to hear stories about her parents and share early memories.
From early childhood and throughout her life Dona was especially close to the
Welliver family, with whom she spent treasured time during family celebrations,
holidays and vacations.
Dona touched so many lives in her personal and professional life with her million
dollar smile, red lipstick and compassionate nature. She was always positive and
uplifting to everyone she encountered which left a loving mark on every life she
touched.
Dona leaves to cherish her precious memory “The Boys” Gabriel and Superman,
cousins Shirley Cox, Barry Schroeder (Collegeville, PA) and Walter Leskuski
(Fredrick, MD), the Welliver family, the Lowery family, and a host of treasured
colleagues and friends.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to make an online donation to Dona’s favorite
charity, Last Chance Animal Rescue. Please visit their website at:
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