Let’s give caring parents a chance to rest and take a fresh BREATH

Getting up six times a night to tend to a child with epileptic seizures. During the day, ensuring feeding, hygiene, rehabilitation, and medication administration. And then doing it all over again the next day. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is the daily reality for many informal caregivers of children and adults with severe disabilities.

Many of these parents no longer even know what it means to be truly rested. Their care doesn’t end in the evening or on weekends. Yet it is precisely these parents who are keeping the Czech care system afloat.

But if they want to take a few days off for themselves, they face the harsh reality that they must pay for—and, above all, find—respite care on their own.

 Lucie Kunovská could tell you all about it; she has been caring for her son nonstop for more than four years without a single day of real respite.

Her son is nonverbal, partially immobile, and has a severe intellectual disability and severe epilepsy. Her requests for respite stays have been repeatedly denied because service providers are unable to provide care that meets his needs.

Lucie, along with thousands of other parents, is therefore running on fumes.

The NÁDECH Project

We at the nonprofit organization S dítětem v náruči, z. s. have decided to change this situation.

We are preparing a unique project called NÁDECH—a multi-day recuperative stay by the sea designed specifically for these exhausted parents.

This isn’t just an ordinary vacation. It’s a carefully designed recovery program that will allow caregivers to step away from their constant stress for a few days, recharge their batteries, benefit from professional mental health support, and share their feelings with others who are going through the same thing.

We are planning a pilot program for 2027 outside the peak tourist season in a climate-friendly setting.

“Many parents no longer even know what it means to be truly rested. Their caregiving doesn’t end in the evening or on weekends. NÁDECH is not a vacation. It’s a carefully designed recovery program that allows caregivers to step away from their constant burden for a few days, recharge their batteries, and return home with renewed energy so they can continue their demanding caregiving,” says Ing. Lucie Kunovská, founder of the nonprofit organization S dítětem v náručí and creator of the project.

How will the fundraiser help?

The goal of the fundraiser is to bring this unique project to life. The proceeds will cover the costs of the stay itself, particularly accommodation and transportation for caregivers. We will also use the funds for the professional, therapeutic, and restorative program, as well as necessary organizational arrangements.

Support for caregivers must not be considered a luxury. It is an essential condition for families to be able to continue functioning. Help us give caregivers a chance to catch their breath for a moment. When you support parents, you also help the children to whom they devote all their love and strength every day.

Thank you for helping us!