Some members of our community are in need of help.

I have copied below a plea for help from an Australian family in Prague. I have checked this and spoken to them on the phone. It is genuine.

Anything anyone can do to help them would obviously be appreciated. Here's a note from Trevor and Kallayanee:

In 2012 our family moved from Australia to the Czech Republic. My wife and I were given positions within the Czech Academy of Sciences, allowing us tremendous opportunities to continue our medical research interests. Although our salaries are much less than an equivalent position in Australia, this was more than offset by better job security, better cost of living, and the opportunity for our children to experience life in Europe.
Holding employer-sponsored long-term residency visas, my wife and I have full access to the Czech public health care system. For our children we only had to purchase private health insurance policies. An exciting new life was all in place – that is, until February of this year, when we received the devastating news that our daughter had cancer.
Katareeya is 14 years old. Anticipating a long-term stay, she has attended ZS Sazavska, where she has been immersed in the Czech education system.
On 17.02.2014, Katareeya was admitted to the Klinika dětské hematologie a onkologie 2. LF UK a FN Motol. Her diagnosis is primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, stage III. Her planned treatment is 6 rounds of chemotherapy (R-DA EPOCH) and she has just completed the 4th round. The severity of her illness, and of complications arising from her treatment, had necessitated over 6 weeks of hospitalization in the Intensive Care / Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
Now, we are almost two thirds through her treatment. The maximum pay-out limit provided by her insurance has long been eclipsed and her compromised health status leaves no opportunity for repatriation. We are now fully exposed to her medical costs, with no idea of how high the final bill will be - only that it has now exceeded our capacity to pay.
She is now unable to qualify for further commercial health insurance, and therefore to renew residency. She is forced to leave the country where, having been immersed in the public school system, she has invested so much effort to integrate. And so, the ill effects keep snowballing – to our own continuing employment, the status of ongoing research projects, the status of our students, the viability of research investments etc. etc.
Fortunately, we have been blessed by the support of so many friends around the world. Her best friend in Australia has spearheaded a successful online fundraising campaign that has alleviated some of our financial burden (www.facebook.com/helpkat and www.youcaring.com/kat). Our daughter’s case is even providing an objective case study for community lobbyists supporting Czech healthcare reform. But for us, we just want to have our little girl back.
Sincerely yours,
Trevor and Kallayanee

Summer Australian Grill and Wine Lunch - No. 2

This is being held art Lindner Hotel Prague Castle on Sunday 6 July at noon.

Join us for a repeat of June's gourmet summer wine grill with excellent Woodlands wines, perfect for a family and friends day out.



For only CZK 795, the hotel is offering salads, grilled meat and fish, side dishes and desserts, unlimited iced teas for children and for adults, a bottle of wine of your choice (Woodlands Chardonnay, Shiraz Rose or Shiraz Cabernet ).

Children under seven are free of charge and children under fourteen half price. This wonderful event will be repeated again on Sunday 3rd August.

To book your place email: booking@vivanova-newsletter.com.

Partnership with Czech Cricket
 

CANZA is delighted to announce that it has formed a partnership with Czech Cricket (Českomoravský Kriketový Svaz). Cricket as a sport and outdoor activity is very popular in both Australia and New Zealand with the national men's and women's teams of both countries performing at the pinnacle of the international game. Through the partnership we will be working on two fronts:

1) to help inform Czech-based Aussies and Kiwis that their time in the Czech Republic does not have to be without cricket, with regular senior and junior tournaments being played

2) to help introduce local Czech people to the Australian and New Zealand pastime and our beloved sport, cricket.

Czech Cricket has been steadily expanding since its formation in Prague in 2000. Czech Cricket coordinates and support local international and Czech State schools towards participation in the Czech Cricket Winter, Spring and Summer tournaments, which have been showing fantastic growth since their introduction in 2012. The expansion of these tournaments alongside the introduction of an additional team in the men’s game and a major facilities development overhaul project mean that 2014 is set to be a fantastic year for cricket in the Czech Republic.

If you or any of your friends, colleagues or relatives are interested in learning more about cricket, please contact info@CzechCricket.cz or for upcoming events, please keep an eye on the Czech Cricket website here www.czechcricket.cz/.

Opportunity for business referrals from Austrade

The Australian government trade, investment and education promotion agency - Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) - would like to offer an opportunity to register Service Providers interested in co-operation with Australian companies. To register, please complete this online form: http://www.austrade.gov.au/About-Austrade/Contact-us/Referrals-Database-Registration. The registration is open to companies offering Legal services; Interpreters / Translators; Consultancy companies; Accountancy companies; Providers of other services to companies.

Once approved, the registered company will be listed in the database of potential services providers to Australian companies interested in doing business in Central Europe and/or those already operating in this region.