Ondřej Vlček and wife get Czech Medal of Merit for hospice in Prague

Entrepreneur Ondřej Vlček, who made his fortune selling shares in the antivirus company Avast, and his wife Katarina have received the Medal of Merit for charity and volunteering from President Petr Pavel. The ceremony took place in the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle; the couple is building a children’s hospice in Prague.

It is only the second time in history that the Medal of Merit has been awarded to a married couple. Pavel noted that the Vlčeks show how personal success can be used for the benefit of others.

A doctor and a businessman. Katarina is a physician and a pioneer of pediatric palliative care who has looked after seriously ill children for many years. Ondřej, according to Forbes, secured the money for the project thanks to his business success. It is this partnership that underpins the construction of the children’s hospice at Cibulka in Prague.

Speaking to Forbes, Ondřej gave the main credit to his wife. He described Katarina as the chief physician of a leading Prague hospice organization and one of those who are quietly changing the country’s approach to people at the end of life. In his words, it is enormous, often invisible work into which she puts everything. He admitted that the couple greatly appreciate the award, although little is likely to change in their day-to-day work.

Vlček was also pleased that three of the fifty recipients represent this field, including pediatric palliative care physician Mahulena Exnerová. He believes the topic is gaining weight in society, which means more people will take an interest, potentially bringing more money and opportunities for cooperation in promoting it.

As the non-governmental organization Cesta domů stressed, Katarina accepted the award with great modesty. She said the president’s, MPs’ and senators’ new appreciation of palliative care gives everyone working in the field “a new wind in the sails”.

The money and Aisle. Five years ago, the couple established a foundation in their name and put 1.5 billion crowns of their own money into it. Ondřej received the funds mainly from the sale of Avast shares. Two years ago he founded his own cybersecurity startup, Aisle, which he has now decided to sell to the Canadian artificial intelligence company Cohere. The deal is meant to strengthen Cohere’s security capabilities and expand its presence in Europe, where Aisle has a development center in Prague.

What is coming to Cibulka. These funds do not go directly toward restoring the Cibulka estate: the foundation is structured so that the principal is invested and the income pays for operations and programs. A space for seriously ill children with medical and social care is being created in the historic complex. It sits amid greenery, not far from the center of Prague and next to the Motol and Homolka hospitals.

• Construction in the historic buildings is due to finish at the end of 2026.
• The new building is planned to be completed around March next year.
• A trial run will follow, with full operation during 2027.

The café in the Gardener’s House, which architects restored to its 19th-century look, is already open to the public.

The hospice is conceived above all as a place of respite: families come and go, rather than only spending a child’s final days here. Parents can stay with their child or leave them in the care of specialists and go away, for example on vacation. A stay usually lasts two to three weeks, and around 350 families could pass through in a year.

For more than ten years, the Vlčeks have also been granting the wishes of sick children through the Golden Fish project: more than 1,500 wishes have been fulfilled so far.

By the Around Prague newsroom