OUR PROJECTS

Lung diseases are among the biggest health challenges in the world, accounting for approximately one in six deaths globally. Learn more about the projects we are working on.

Since our establishment, we have donated more than CZK 1.2 million.

We donated a cough assist device to children at Bulovka University Hospital 

Sometimes, a single concrete step is enough to transform the everyday reality of a hospital ward for the better. Such a moment was experienced by both healthcare professionals and young patients at Bulovka University Hospital, where a modern device was ceremonially handed over to help children with serious respiratory conditions. Representatives of the hospital, including the head of the department, MUDr. Ivan Peychl, and pulmonology specialist MUDr. Renata Říhová, introduced guests to the daily care of pediatric patients and the importance of the new equipment. The ceremony was attended by singer Dara Rolins and the general manager of the Czech national football team, Pavel Nedvěd.

We are very pleased that one of the most prominent couples in Czech show business kindly took part in the ceremonial handover.

When we asked Dara Rolins why she attended the event, she had a clear and prompt answer:

"From A to Z, the whole initiative made perfect sense to me. Even though my daughter will turn 18 in a few weeks, I remember how much it hurt me as a mother when she was ill. Anything that can help another mother—and especially children—matters, which is why I'm glad to be part of this initiative," she said.

When asked what message he would like to send to doctors, Pavel Nedvěd replied:

"I would simply like to thank them. Thank them for what they do. They do an incredibly demanding job that is underpaid. They help children, they help people, and they do it willingly. They do it from the heart, because otherwise they couldn't do this job—I know that. No message, just pure admiration."

We donated a Breath of Hope for Daniela  

Daniele was diagnosed with primary ciliary dyskinesia at the age of eleven. Due to this condition, she suffers from chronic cough and recurrent respiratory infections. She can now be helped by a Simeox device, which was donated to her by the Naše plíce Foundation Fund. The ceremonial handover of the device took place at the Václav Havel Library and, in addition to representatives of the foundation, was attended by singer Tomáš Klus, who personally presented the device to Daniele. This medical device will make Daniele's life easier and help her pursue her great passion—chess.

"Daniela has had a genetic disorder affecting the movement of cilia since childhood—abbreviated in English as PCD, primary ciliary dyskinesia. Unfortunately, she has a rarer form of the condition, where the cilia do move, but incorrectly; in most patients they don't move at all, which made diagnosis take a very long time. Because of this, Daniela constantly struggled with pneumonia and middle ear infections," says Daniela's mother.

As he himself mentioned, he did not hesitate at all to take part in the ceremony.

"It surprised me. One is always surprised to learn about new things that can trouble some people, and I'm glad that today we were able to help relieve the suffering of one beautiful human being."

That is why, when he received the invitation, he immediately accepted. He also had one special motivation—he was looking forward to meeting Daniela, as Tomáš Klus himself plays chess with his eight-year-old son.

What would he wish for Daniela?

"Above all, I wish her good health, that the device helps her and that she keeps getting better and better. And I wrote to her that it was an honor to meet her, and I wish her never to face 'checkmate' again—neither in life nor in tournaments."

We donated a breathing vest for Anička  

Seven-year-old Anička, who suffers from a rare lung disease, has been given hope for a better life thanks to generous donors. The Naše plíce Foundation Fund, with the help of host Marek Eben, presented her with a special respiratory vest worth CZK 248,917. The Naše plíce Foundation Fund, established in 2020, has also successfully defended its name in court against a later-founded patient organization, Moje plíce, z.s., which is now required to change its name to avoid confusion. The ceremonial handover took place at the family-run Embassy Hotel in Karlovy Vary, and the device will significantly help Anička with mucus clearance and everyday functioning.

Seven-year-old Anička has been suffering from a rare lung condition called bronchiectasis since the age of three. At first glance, it may seem that her lungs are like those of any other little girl, but the opposite is true. Bronchiectasis fills her lungs with mucus and reduces their capacity. How can you imagine this condition? The lungs are a spongy tissue made up of alveoli. Bronchiectasis creates cavities—Anička's lungs are affected to such an extent that it is as if they contained hollow grapes inside. This damages the lung tissue and leads to mucus buildup, explains Anička's family.

Her case is very rare, as it is uncommon for this serious condition to appear in such a young child. "Anička's condition may affect children at the age of 15, 18, or even in adulthood, but encountering bronchiectasis at such a young age is truly rare—only a handful, perhaps a few dozen cases in the Czech Republic. That makes Anička's situation particularly serious," explains her doctor, MUDr. Václav Koucký, Ph.D., from the Department of Pediatrics of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and Motol University Hospital.

"I had no idea such a condition even existed. It's a type of illness I didn't know was out there. When you meet Anička and see her, she is a cheerful, lively child like any other. It's wonderful when something can be done to help her live the same life as other children. You always feel sorry when someone, through no fault of their own, is burdened with something like this. And if you can ease that burden even a little and help in any way, it's the right thing to do,"

said host Marek Eben, who ceremonially presented the respiratory vest to Anička at the Embassy Hotel in Karlovy Vary.

We donated a second breath to Vanessa  

The ceremonial handover of three medical devices for Vanesska, who suffers from the serious condition SMA (spinal muscular atrophy), took place on Monday, August 28. The Naše plíce Foundation Fund, with the help of actress and presenter Adéla Gondíková, donated the necessary equipment with a total value of CZK 210,710. These devices will make life easier for Vanesska and her entire family. Thanks to the new equipment, she has gained a "second breath."

Like any other child, Vanesska deserves the highest possible quality of life—full of love, experiences, and adventures. However, apart from her loving family, she has not had much luck in life so far, and that is why the Naše plíce Foundation Fund decided to support her on her journey toward a better life.

An oxygen concentrator, suction device, and cough assist machine are costly medical devices that the family cannot afford as regular expenses. The foundation therefore launched a fundraising campaign for this much-needed equipment and successfully raised the required amount.

"I know we are a kind nation with good hearts, but there are so many fundraisers. Every day, several people ask me to share theirs. So in that flood of requests, when someone actually decides to contribute, it always makes me very happy. It shows that we care and that these stories are not indifferent to us," adds Adéla Gondíková.

And what are these devices used for?

A cough assist machine is a non-invasive medical device that helps patients clear mucus from their lungs. It stimulates coughing through rapid changes in pressure. Patients usually use it daily, as removing mucus also helps clear bacteria and viruses from the lungs. The "cough assist" thus becomes an essential and very important part of life for patients with muscular disorders.

"The cough assist helps vibrate her lungs and makes breathing easier. The suction device runs continuously at home because we need to remove mucus—she doesn't swallow it and mainly drools. And the oxygen helps us especially during autumn weather. You could say it helps us exercise her lungs," explains Vanesska's mother.

We donated a oximetr to Nikola

We donated a better life to Honziček

In our third fundraising campaign, we wanted to help a specific patient in need. Fate led us to little Honzík, who suffers from cerebral palsy. Honzík was born in 2017 with a severe neurological condition that also affects his muscles, including those used for breathing, making it very difficult for him to cough up mucus accumulated in his airways. We therefore organized a fundraiser for a special medical device—a Cough Assist machine—which uses pressure changes to simulate a natural cough.

"…for some equipment that could significantly help us and make a real difference—typically costing tens of thousands or lower hundreds of thousands—these investments are very difficult to obtain through standard hospital funding. At that point, we rely on foundation donations and external financing," says Honzík's attending physician, MUDr. Adam Cipra.

However, the donation did not end with the cough assist device for Honzík and his roommate Martínek. It also included a mobile stand, accessories for the device for the next two years, and an anti-decubitus mattress. The handover of all the equipment came just in time, as Honzík had contracted COVID-19 and his condition had significantly worsened.

"I would like to sincerely thank them on behalf of our organization, Honzík, and Martínek—for their speed and flexibility. But our greatest thanks go to all the donors who contributed to this equipment. We were amazed at how quickly the full amount was raised. The fact that 77 donors took part is incredible," said Honzík's mother. The device was then ceremonially handed over by Agáta Hanychová.

We donated the wireless pulmonary ultrasound together with hockey team Kladno Knights

We joined forces with the hockey club Rytíři Kladno, owned by Jaromír Jágr, and launched a fundraiser for a wireless lung ultrasound—a diagnostic device that had already been doing good work at the General University Hospital in Prague (Karlovo náměstí), and this time was intended for the Kladno Regional Hospital.

The ultrasound device was presented to Head Physician Jana Keilová by players of Rytíři Kladno together with para ice hockey player Patrik Sedláček, who himself has experience with a serious pulmonary embolism. "Prevention is not sufficient—I am proof of that myself. My health condition and illness were neglected, and I believe it could definitely have been addressed more and better," says Sedláček.

The device works on the principle of ultrasound waves spreading through tissue and reflecting back. Its main advantage, thanks to its wireless design, is easy handling and precise diagnostics. The HEALCERION SONON 300L device is capable of detecting diseases at an early stage, even before symptoms that affect the functioning of the entire body appear.

"It will help all doctors in our department, and most importantly, it will be used to detect and locate pleural effusion in the lungs. Until now, we always had to request other departments to perform this examination, which meant transferring patients elsewhere. Thanks to this ultrasound, that will no longer be necessary," explained Head Physician MUDr. Jana Keilová.

We donated the wireless ultrasound to GUH at Charles Square

We organized our first fundraising campaign at the end of 2020, raising funds for an ultrasound probe worth nearly CZK 220,000 for the General University Hospital at Charles Square in Prague. The real estate agency Y&T Luxury Property, which has long supported the foundation, contributed an additional CZK 103,769 from its own funds to make the purchase of the diagnostic device possible.

The device is wireless and highly portable. Doctors can easily fit this new tool into their coat pocket, allowing them to immediately assess what is happening in a patient's chest right at the bedside. The surprisingly "small size" of this "big" device was also noted by Jiří Bartoška, who admitted that it looks more like a video game.

"We have found that for COVID patients, the most problematic issue is switching devices at the bedside. If you change equipment too often, it can lead to cross-contamination, meaning you might infect someone else. That's why we needed a device that doesn't require cables," says Jiří Votruba, Head of the Pulmonary Department. The ultrasound will be used for patients suffering from pneumonia, especially COVID patients, but it will also help those dealing with lung cancer.

"I must admit, when I saw the device, I had to laugh. It looks like some kind of computer game for teenagers—and yet it will be saving human lives," commented Jiří Bartoška, who ceremonially handed the device over to Head Physician Votruba.