What we're going to use the money raised for:

Oxygen concentrator............................. 60 000 CZK

Suction machine......................................................... 25 000 CZK

Cough assistant............................................... 127 000 CZK

What are we raising money for and why?

Vanesska, like every other child, deserves the best possible life full of love, experiences and adventures. But she hasn't had much luck in her life so far, apart from a loving family. Let's work together to give it to her.

The oxygen concentrator, the suction machine, and the cough assistant, as well as the rehabilitation equipment are all expensive medical devices that the family cannot afford as a regular expense. While the insurance company only covers the bare necessities the devices that a family needs are much more.

This is an oxygen concentrator KINGON, the price of which is around 60 000 CZK.

"Give Vanessa a second wind!" - Chairman of SMÁci Ing. Václav Hradilek

Vanessa's greatest wish is for a portable oxygen concentrator for 60 000 CZK. She herself is on pulmonary ventilation and travelling to see her beloved grandmother is too difficult for her. A portable oxygen tank would allow her to travel to her grandparents comfortably and more often without losing her breath.

To take care of Vanessa, however, a quality suction machine for 25 000 CZK is necessary. And finally a cough assistant for CZK 127 000.

Cough assistant again! 

A cough assistant is a non-invasive medical device that helps patients to cough. It stimulates coughing by rapid changes in pressure. Patients usually use the device on a daily basis also because by ridding the lungs of mucus, the lungs are also cleansed of bacteria and viruses. The cough assistant thus becomes an indispensable and very important part of life.

The cough assist 

Vanesska loves to paint and create together with her mother.

Get to know Vanessa

Vanessa comes from Uherské Hradiště, she was born in 2009 into a big family with many siblings. Vanessa and the whole family were very touched by her diagnosis of SMA, a congenital disease that affects conscious muscle movements. But there is nothing in the world that could steal the smile off Vanessa's face.

"We would be very grateful if you could support our patients and their parents. In particular Vanessa, who is very active, enthusiastic, wants to experience a lot of positive things and has an admirable family." Said the vice-president of SMÁci Mgr. Helena Kočová, Ph.D.

With her mom caring for her alone every day, she loves to create, paint, or spend long moments in the kitchen cooking and baking. She also enjoys traveling to see her grandparents, although her illness doesn't make it any easier.

"If I could, I would give her my lungs," says Vanesska's mom.

Daddy works as a soldier, serving country, older sister works as a teaching assistant. My brother likes to fish. Still, they all take turns in caring for Vanessa to give Mom a break from time to time, perhaps to care for the extensive collection of angel statues she started when her disabled daughter was born in her older age. Vanesska also enjoys travelling to visit her grandparents, although her illness doesn't make it any easier.

"Often we don't get to see my grandmother at all, we have to go straight back home because Vanessa can't catch her breath in the back seat... it breaks my heart." - Vanessa's mom

What is SMA?

SMA, or spinal muscular atrophy, affects approximately 1 in 6,000 babies born. The disease is congenital because a mutation in a gene called SMN causes it during a child's development. As a result, patients experience muscle wasting and limited mobility. SMA has four types, which differ in the severity of the disease and the extent of the disability, and the age at which the patient was diagnosed.

Until recently, the disease was incurable, treated only symptomatically. In 2017, a drug that treats SMA was introduced to the Czech Republic. It is a one-time infusion of a gene to a patient under two years of age. The drug, which costs over 50 million crowns, is the most expensive in the history of medicine.