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Leska an d Lynn relax in costume a t a New foundland Halloween party.
Leska lives with Lynn Szender, her friend, boss an d domestic partner,
whom she has known since 1989. The two were brought together after
m utual m arital tragedy. Leska says the relationship works because Lynn
is halfaspie herself. “I t ’s a very comfortable, easy relationship in some
ways because I d on ’t have to explain myself; Lynn ju s t understands. “
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Before Leska fir st got her service dog in February 2010, she seldom left the house an d was dealing with myriad autism
m edical conditions. “When I fir st got Orka I was ju s t trying to stay alive. I needed a really big, strong dog because I
was having trouble w alking a n d doing anything. " Over the past two years, L eska ’s health has dramatically improved
an d now Orka helps keep her mobile. “H e helps me with balance, m aneuvering, navigating a n d transitions. ”
W hile waiting fo r a meal, Leska concentrates on her iPhone while Lynn
waits. In 1980, Leska started follow ing Steve Jobs an d A pple and
developed a gleeful obsession. “The m inute I saw Steve, I knew that he
was a n extraordinary h um an being, an d I was thrilled with joy,
recognition o f excellence an d m arveling he walked the E a rth ."
Above: Leska an d Orka go swimming. Leska is a proponent o f service
dogs fo r autistic individuals, but warns that training is a
m onum ental com m itm ent a n d has to be done to meet specific needs:
“Your dog w ill give you what people w ill never give you. The service
dog w ill give you love, cheer, comfort, loyalty, understanding, some
k in d o f intuitive knowledge that you need help an d that you need
tasks done, an d unconditional gladness to see you an d be with you.
In every way people fa il, the dog succeeds. "
“I had a huge am ount o f bullying and
criticism my whole life and it made me want to
“Persons with Asperger’s have hidden goldm ines o f
talent, and when you make fu n o f them, you do
yourself a disservice. ”
Below: Leska m et her guru, S ri S r i Param ahansa Yogananda, in
1980. H e is the m ost important overwhelmingly prom inent subject
an d influence in her life. F o r a period o f time, Leska wanted to be a
nun. H er house is graced with many fram ed pictures o f Yogananda,
though the majority o f the more than 3 7 0 fram ed pictures she owns
are still wrapped i n boxes. “The g u ru is the dispeller o f darkness and
the engine G od appoints to lead one to salvation,” says Leska,
explaining her relationship. “H e ’s your best friend, the most
encouraging support, completely in tune with truth, f u l l o f humor,
extremely eager to help an d very, very wise. ”
avoid people. I am really enthusiastic. I ’m fu ll
o f love and joy and people are a stone wall that
gave back constant criticism. With Orka, there’s
none o f that; people are focused on him so
there’s no trouble.”
Photos by Leah Nash
Below: Leska says the New foundland breed is the perfect match fo r her service dog needs
because o f his size, intelligence an d water rescue capabilities. “When I fir st got him, I
cou ld n ’t kayak, I cou ld n ’t do anything, I was really sick. B u t what motivates me to try an d
get better? I love to kayak so it’s like, ‘Oh, I could ju s t croak, but is there anything worth
livin g fo r on E arth ? Well, kayaking. ’ So that’s the one thing that motivates me to keep
trying to be alive here. ”
Though she was married fo r 1 9 years to a m an she loved,
Leska rem ains a virgin at age 51. Partly due to sensory
issues from Asperger’s, adherence to her spiritual path,
an d also due to a lifetime o f n ursin g care giving, Leska
is celibate. “I have never been in the least bit interested in
sex, ” she says. “When I met my husband, we met at
church. I wanted to be a n un an d he wanted to be a
monk. O u r g u ru emphatically explains that sex is a
downfall, a detrim ent to the spiritual path. I am not
goin g to jeopardize my spiritual life which fills me with
such relished bliss. ”
“Asperger’s has real blessings.
I am not focused on what
most people seem to be focused
Left: Though Leska moved into her house in A ug u st 2005, one room remains unpacked. “O u r
fam ily room I have not yet unpacked. I t ’s ju s t a m atter o f m aking the tim e to start unpacking those
boxes. F or years I was so freaked out, horrified, shocked an d grieving about my ex-husband that I
could not open those boxes an d have those memories.
on. I live a very interior life
and it’s filled with joy. I have
insatiable curiosity about
things. ”