Anna Dusick M.D.
April 27, 1955 - July 9, 2012

"I worked with Anna while I was a resident, fellow and faculty at Riley Hospital. She was a wonderful teacher and advocate for her patients and families. "

"Anna and I were undergraduate students in the same class at Mount Mary College in the late 1970's. Anna was always a clear thinker, organized, and a quick study. I always liked it when I could work with Anna on group projects or in lab. She had both academic and emotional intelligence in equal measures. - From the notes below it is clear that everyone she touched saw that. Thank you Anna for being the gift. "

"I just found out about this sorrowful loss of such an amazing and kind woman. I began my nursing career in the early 90s and Dr. Dusick was one of my absolute favorite physicians. She was always so kind and gentle with her patients and equally as kind to those who worked with her. That smile was always part of her presence and although I am so sorry for her family and everyone touched by her angelic nature, I know she is still smiling at us."

"Dr. Anna Dusick was my first attending for inpatient services when I was a resident at Riley Hospital for Children. Professionally, she is one of the best teachers and mentors I ever have. When I talk with my parents about their child's development and feeding issues, I often think about her. What she taught me in the first months of my residency formed the foundation of my general pediatric practice. Personally, she was warm and kind. She offered numerous advice to me whether it is regarding my daughter's early entry to kindergarten, or parenting. She was always supportive of me and my family. I am very sorry to hear her passing, but her warm smile will never leave me."

"I am saddened to learn of Dr. Dusik's passing. I knew her from Riley Hospital for Children. She treated our first born daughter. She was a kind, passionate and knowledgeable clinician. We express our sincere condolences to Dr. Dusik's family members."

"I just learned of Anna's death from an AAP magazine. I was struck by her smile that hasn't changed since residency. I remember her warmth and diligence and see that only grew through the years. I have the picture Jerry took of our group hanging in my office. I know her family and friends have lost a very special person."

"Dear Jerry, I'm so sorry. Your family has been an important part of my life for twenty-six years. I miss Anna terribly. I know I'm blessed to have had any time together. I am a Person Anna Befriended, Sistered and Took care of in so many ways, answering questions, helping work through feelings, having fun and relaxing, sharing her kindness. She was clearly blue ribbon, best of the best, to her friends and family. She's left a legacy of connections which are part of her love. She made a place for me, keeping in touch and finding me after I switched toward research awhile beyond internship. I don't know what I would have done if she had not been so special. Anytime over the years you have given and shared so much, It was great for me to have a little I could offer as you visited around, so I think when you came to DC at least I had a space to share. Graduate school was very stressful with its big tests and I have long regretted missing a visit back then. I hoped it would be the only missed visit but with the difficulties this year I was reminded again of how precious each chance is. When you moved to Indy, it was one of the greatest things. For me, our years together there were brilliantly good fun. Alex would be turning one in that first house of yours near mine (perhaps a very purple cake frosting that year). In the early years in Indy, I had the great and silly pleasure of being an adult fond of Alex, attending his birthdays... even with left over ice cream cones handed off by the youth and the other times with cakes (some home -made and I think some from the bakery that was down by Methodist). I'd be finishing residency, finally, and have the best faculty companion ever. Anna had already been an exemplar intern with maturity so maybe as I reentered some six years older than the other residents I could lean upon precedent. Fellowship years were foretelling of how sad some parts of medicine could be. You guys were there in my support. I know how hard it is to be on the sad end of the loss of health. I am so sorry. My change into general peds practice or teaching was always more comfortable knowing Anna's expertise was close by. No straight path seemed to stay under my feet. Each turn I tried included positives with your support. Life and work, faith and companionship... so too, as you know, you guys helped me in getting and celebrating marriage to Dan. You may have forgotten you also fixed parts of my house and lighting along the way. Anna (and an office friend or neighbor) accompanied me on my first date meeting Dan: we four walked and chatted at the Indy Art Museum outdoor annual fair. All three of my Hoosier kids benefitted from your local kindness, play times, strolls or Holliday park stays, of course grilling you did, and Holidays... Sarah welcomed our boys and especially Hannah both at your Indy home and when we started meeting also near us after West Lafayette became our home. The Feast of the Hunters' Moon will always even more so be a special time. Moving to Wisconsin has been challenging and still so thoughtful. I'm so sorry these beginnings are tearful. I hope I can follow your example of faithfulness in looking forward. "

"I was extremely saddened to learn of Anna's passing. I worked with Anna at the Waisman Center. She had already made a great impact on our clinical practices in the short time she was with us. I was greatly impressed by her neurodevelopmental knowledge and enjoyed seeing patients with her. I had interviewed Anna and was so happy that she decided to come to Madison. We shared some nice moments together over lunch, discussing our families and what brought us to Madison. I regret not being able to have known and worked with Anna more but I am very grateful that I have benefited from her friendship. Anna will be missed by her friends and colleagues at the Waisman Center. Philip F. Giampietro"

"I am saddened to learn of the loss of your loved one, and I send my prayers and heartfelt sympathies to the Dusick/Kalyniuk family. I knew Anna years ago at Riley Hospital for Children, where I managed the Infant Intensive Care Unit. Her care, compassion and concern for the patients and families she touched was clearly evident. I admired her as a physician and a person, and am very sorry for your loss."

"Dear Jerry, Alex, and Sarah, My deepest sorry for your loss. Anna was always very kind to my wife and I, and I always had a great deal of respect for her. Having read many of the comments from friends, neighbors, patients, and colleagues, I am overwhelmed by the amazing legacy she left behind. In this time of sorrow, I hope that your family can take some solace in all of the lives that she touched, and quite literally, saved. Our best wishes to you."

"Dr. Anna Dusick was a true warrior for the special needs community. Knowledgable, compassionate, and determined to never leave a stone unturned to help my son and my family. Dr. Dusick restored my faith in physicians. She told me to not worry and that we would find a way. I believed her and I will never stop believing that for my son, we will find a way. Dr. Dusick touched our lives and I am forever grateful for her. She knew what it was like to be a mom and want the best for your children. My family and I express our sincerest condolences to Dr. Dusick's loved ones."

"I have great respect for the dedication that Anna had for her patients. No matter how busy she was, if I walked into her office with a question about one of the children she cared for, she would drop everything and help explore all of the possible solutions to help the family. She was more than their healthcare provider - she viewed her patients as part of her family. She always had several charts on her desk to follow up on families that needed advice or extra support. Although I cannot be there in person to tell you this, Anna's commitment was a role model for all of us - we will all miss her Greg"

"I am extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Anna Dussick. I became acquainted with Anna at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meetings and found that we shared many interests in the areas of Neonatal Follow-up and the care of children with Down Syndrome. I often use her work in teaching students, residents, fellows and other physicians about the importance of feeding and nutrition in preterm infants after discharge. I will miss her insights and her enthusiasm. Anna took great pride in her family. I send my most sincere wishes to you at this time of loss."

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Anna Dusick. I have known Anna during our collaborative work with the Neonatal Feeding Club at the Pediatric Academic Societies. Her vision and compassion to the families and children with feeding disabilities is enormous. Her contributions to the advancement of science and practice of this field continue to inspire us to look for innovative approaches to enhance feeding abilities in children. Anna's thoughts and ideas continue to live in us. My heartfelt condolences to Anna's family and friends. May her soul rest in peace. "

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Anna Dusick. I have known Anna during our collaborative work with the Neonatal Feeding Club at the Pediatric Academic Societies. Her vision and compassion to the families and children with feeding disabilities is enormous. Her contributions to the advancement of science and practice of this field continue to inspire us to look for innovative approaches to enhance feeding abilities in children. Anna's thoughts and ideas continue to live in us. My heartfelt condolences to Anna's family and friends. May her soul rest in peace. "

"Anna introduced my research team to the NICU at Riley's Children's Hospital in 1990. At the time we were exploring somatosensory processing and orofacial reflex modulation in adults and children at IU in Bloomington. Anna made it possible for us to explore these processes in preterm infants who were unable to feed orally. We found numerous common interests, and common threads in our backgrounds, as we both hailed from Wisconsin and were interested in human development. Anna was an inspiration, forward-looking, highly creative, an outstanding physician-scientist, devoted to her family, and a caring human beyond words. I miss Anna as do my students who learned so much from her. Anna Dusick was and is bigger than life. "

"Dr. Dusick had seen my son as a patient. She was so caring and sweet and you could tell she had a passion for what she did. She helped our family and my son and I am greatful to her for that. I am so sorry for your loss, she will be missed."

"I knew Anna Dusick through her daughter, Sarah who was one of my students at Crooked Creek Elementary School in Indianapolis. Anna was one of those parents that all teachers love. She loved Sarah and knew her well. She wanted what was best for her and supported her challenges and successes with an open mind and heart. I am so sorry she is no longer here with us and with her family, but my heart goes out to Sarah who lost her mother at such a young age. Jerry, I'm so sorry about this terrible loss for all of you. My prayers and thoughts are with you all. Please give Sarah a warm hug from me"

"Dear Dusick/Kalyniuk Family - it was with shock and great sadness that I read of your loss in the Indianapolis paper. Your family's departure from Crooked Creek last year was a great loss for us. Anna and Jerry were the sorts of parents that every school dreams of, and your children are darlings. I think of Sarah's sweet smile, her sense of humor, and the love of horses we shared. Jerry, please give her a hug for me, and know that Anna will be fondly remembered by many at Crooked Creek. I am so very sorry for your loss."

"Dear Sarah, I was very saddened to read of your mother's passing in the Indianapolis newspaper today. Sarah, you were one of my students at a Montessori School in Indianapolis in 2006 when you were in first grade and I would like to tell you that I am very sorry for the loss of your mom and that you and your family are in my thoughts at this difficult time in your life. With love, Madame Cécile "

"Jerry, Alex, and Sarah, We are so said to hear of your loss. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. Pat and Cheryl Sullivan"

"Our son saw Dr. Dusick at the Waisman Center this year and I was so sorry and saddened to hear of her passing. She was a very kind person and we felt very lucky to have her as our son's doctor. Sending your family our thoughts and prayers."

"I met Anna when we both began our pediatric training at the University of Chicago half a lifetime ago. She was a good friend to me and my family. We were both so very busy that we did not get to see each other enough, but I will never forget her presence shortly after the birth of my first son and visits and vacations together. It's the quirky and funny little things I will treasure as well...like the time when she took in our Australian friends and helped them find an apartment in the city (with her wonderful mixture of organization and tough love); the pleasure I took at her precise handwriting when we were young doctors and I had to cover her patients on night calls (I could read what I was supposed to do!). We had a wonderful vacation together in the Outer Banks when our kids were small and Anna and Jerry were so generous showing us the wonders of grabbing up ghost crabs on the shore at night and teaching the kids to fish in the rolling surf...Rest in Peace my dear, dear friend."

"Writing this as the coordinator of the Down Syndrome Clinic at the Waisman Center, the staff of the clinic and I are saddened by the loss of Anna Dusick as our Medical Director and inspiration for developing the clinic. We had just been getting the clinic going, seeing children with Down syndrome beginning in August of 2011. It was clear to me that working with children with Down syndrome and their families was one of Anna's greatest passions as a developmental pediatrician. On her last day in clinic before taking medical leave, she saw two children with Down syndrome and their families. In a private moment that day, I could tell she didn't feel well, but during the clinic visits with the families, she was the consummate professional. She spent time with each family with her usual attention and care. I will miss her, along with her expertise, support and collaboration in developing the clinic. In her honor, our clinical team will continue to work together to serve children with Down syndrome and their families as effectively as possible. Susan Heighway"

"I only had the opportunity to meet Dr. Dusick once at Waisman with my 4 month old son, and I was instantly impressed with both her knowledge and how caring she was. I am very sorry for your loss. She will be greatly missed by all of us that she touched with her kindness. Larissa Ehly"

"Jerry, Sarah, and Alex, We were fortunate to have your family as neighbors this past year. None of us who had met Anna could believe that she had died - she brought such a force of energy, thought and intention to what she did, it simply made no sense to any of us. Several of your neighbors shared how dazed we felt, as well as deeply saddened by her death. It was just about this time last year that Anna came to a going-away party for the McGuigans and shared so joyfully her stories of each of you - Alex's hockey playing and college choices, Sarah's interest in horseback riding and Jerry's flexibility in meeting every challenge. Steve and I are so sorry that you're having to bring that flexibility to bear on this, the biggest imaginable challenge. Please know that we want to be present to your needs."

"I, too, sit here and look at Anna's face and her warm smile and cannot yet seem to accept that she will not walk down this hall today in the clinic requesting my help to make her family more comfortable during their visit. In the very small amount of time I had to work with her, I came to realize how much passion and compassion Anna carried inside for children with special needs or challenges and their families. She was tireless in her devotion. She was a gentle teacher and her soft voice sent volumes of wisdom to me and others. She wanted us to make certain to send a congratulations card to a mother expecting her next child, knowing she herself would be off on a medical leave during that time. She was just always thinking of others. And now I find I am always thinking of you, Anna, and all your loving family."

"Peg Olson and John Folts We were only neighbors for a short while, and learned of Anna's condition shortly before her loss. Our hearts go out to Jerry, Alex and Sarah. Jerry, please stop over if you like. We wish we had known you all better, and look forward to doing so in heaven. Our sympathy is with you all."

"I am very saddened for hearing Anna's passing away. I had to sit and look at the e-mail annoucing her death for a while with disbelief. She was so energetic, lively and caring. I will miss her.."

"The day I heard of the loss of Anna Dusick I became very sad. My partner and I are foster parents and Anna was a wonderful Dr. for our children. The care we saw in her eyes when she helped our children was a warm gental feeling that we don't always see. Thank you Anna for your time love and compasion for our children you will always be remembered in our family."

"So sad to hear of Dr. Dusick's passing. She was amazing doctor and was so good with our daughter."

"My family and I were in such disbeilf of the news we had heard of Dr. Dusick. She was so audacious and kind and gentle. She was there both times for our family when 2 of our daughters had passed away (2ys. apart). She cried with us as if these 2 girls were her own. Which to us they were. She was our medical mother. She will be missed greatly. And to the family, we are sorry for your loss. Sarah I know you don't know me, but my daughter who passed away in 2 yrs ago in June had alot of hair and I told her how hard it was to comb it at times and she had mentioned the same about you. She said you had pretty hair and that you played the piano well. And Alex, she had mentioned that she was so proud of your accomplishments. And Jerry, how you took wonderful pictures. Thanks for letting Anna be part of our lives. I know she sacrificed alot of her time for her patients and I am truly thankful. "

" The Department of Pediatrics and Members of the Waisman Center were so saddened to learn of Anna's death. Dr. Dusick joined our faculty in January, 2011 as Chief of the Division of Neurodevelopmental and Behaviroal Pediatrics. Her outstanding clinical care was rendered at the Waisman Center. She was a wonderful clinician and teacher and cared very deeply for all of her patients. In the short time that she served on our faculty she made many very important contributions. We will miss her very much. "

"Dr. Dusick was a wonderful Doctor to my son many years ago helping him through what would become life long problems during his early developmental years at Riley Hospital For Children. Being a new Mother and my son being my 1st child , i was so scared. at all I was facing with him. but Dr. Dusick was always there helping me with every little thing he was facing. and I could never ever have thanked her enough. She was absolutley one of the most beautiful people with one of the most beautiful personalities my son and I could have ever met. She will forever be missed. Her family is in our thoughts and prayers. "

"I am so very sorry for your loss. Dr. Dusick was the one doctor who brought a ray of hope to our family by caring for our son many years ago. She had a spirit that never gave up and to this day, I still believe it is because of her compassion, caring and determination that our son is still alive today. She never gave up on him, even when other doctors were stumped, she continued to think of ways to help him. She was a brilliant physician and the world was a better place because of her. My family will forever be in her debt, because without her, we wouldn't have our son with us today. Our prayers are with you."

"We are so shocked and saddened by the loss of Anna. She was a bright light who helped everyone she met in one way or another with so much grace and sensitivity. Our hearts and prayers to Jerry, Alex and Sarah. I'm just at a loss for words..."

"We are all grieving for your family. Anna was a wonderful neighbor, maker of wonderful pies, and beautiful flower bokays. She was great at everything she did. Sarah and Alex are both beautiful people who will continue to make their parents proud. "

"I am so very saddened by the loss of this most intelligent and caring doctor, great friend (for art fairs and chats with wine) and exellent mother! My prayers to Sarah and to Alex. Jerry, what can I possibly say or do to help? I am at a loss. "