By Michael Pyo ‘22, Feature Editor

Photo Courtesy of Ms. Duszak

Newark Academy is filled with generous, caring, and supportive community members. Among them is Ms. Duszak, an animal lover and NA’s very own Associate Dean of Student Life. Through a conversation with Ms. Duszak, I was fortunate enough to learn the story of Bertie, a stray cat she found at NA and rescued. 

On a warm afternoon last May, Ms. Duszak was eating lunch in the tent outside the auditorium. She was heading inside the building when she saw Albert Zhou ‘22 and other students surrounding a cat. She went over to assess the situation and saw that the cat looked very sick. Different members of the NA community offered their help, some bringing food, blankets, and water — a beautiful sight of collaboration and community. 

Ms. Duszak called multiple shelters and decided to take the cat to St. Hubert’s in Madison. When she arrived, St. Hubert’s said the cat was feral and needed to go back to where she was found. Ms. Duszak, in tears, begged the staff to help the cat because she was hurt and injured. Her persistence saved the cat’s life. Finally, the veterinarian told her if the shelter helped the cat, Ms. Duszak would need to adopt it, and she agreed. 

The cat stayed at St. Hubert’s for eight weeks, where vets pulled 500 maggots out of her tail and amputated part of it, and she underwent surgery and gained 2 pounds. The vet told Ms. Duszak that the cat might not have survived if she had brought the cat in even one day later. After countless phone calls and visits, it was finally time for Bertie, the cat Ms. Duszak named after Albert, to come home. The cat behaviorist helped Ms. Duszak prepare to immerse Bertie in a home with two rescue cats. Bertie is about 8-10 years old and not fully feral, which means she would have an easier time getting along with other cats and humans. Ms. Duszak brought Bertie home at the end of July and was officially able to call Bertie her own. 

In the short week Bertie was home, Ms. Duszak noticed Bertie had a runny nose, so she brought her to the vet. After essential vaccinations, procedures, and tests, they discovered she was FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) positive and had a large-cell lymphoma in her eye. Her FIV status complicated her treatment because her immune system was fragile, but the vets cautiously started her on steroids. It was a rough few weeks. Watching her symptoms get worse and worse, Ms. Duszak began to wonder if Bertie was experiencing any pain and if she was going to survive. However, much support within the NA and St. Hubert’s community (including the assistant vet and NA alum Josh Crews ‘19) made it easier for Ms. Duszak to handle. Bertie was being cheered on by students, faculty, and vets who wanted to see her get better. 

After Bertie’s steroid treatment, her blood work was excellent, and they discovered that her lymphoma had not spread. Her future health plan includes chemotherapy (including blood work before every treatment to check white blood cell count), and her first treatment seemed to work well. Ms. Duszak’s goal is to help integrate Bertie with her older brother cats and make her feel like a part of the family. She is socializing and adjusting well through small milestones such as eating with Ms. Duszak’s family in the room, allowing them to pet her, and rubbing her face against Ms. Duszak’s cheek. 

When Bertie was found, she was a mess, but now she is home, safe, comfortable, and happy to know she is loved. The vets are unsure what to expect regarding Bertie’s lifespan and future prognosis but say Bertie is happy in that she does not know she has cancer. Currently, her blood work is promising, but they don’t know if the chemo will work or if her body can handle the chemo. 

We are so lucky to have Ms. Duszak, such a caring individual, as part of our NA community, and we hope for the best for Bertie in the future. They say most cats have nine lives, and thanks to Ms. Duszak, Bertie was granted another chance at life.  

There is a GoFundMe where donations can be placed to support Bertie’s medical bills, which can be found by searching “Help Save Bertie’s Life” on Google.