Local Czech Community Steps Up To Help Reston Family In Need

RESTON, VA — David Vlcek of Reston collapsed on April 17 from what would later be diagnosed as a ruptured brain aneurysm. After being rushed to the emergency room, he was airlifted to a hospital in Washington, D.C., where he's being treated by a neurosurgeon.

"He's finally going today for the angiogram that they've been waiting for," family friend Blanka Danihel said, on Tuesday. "So, hopefully, they'll get to the bottom of the problem and see where the aneurysm started and what's happened."

The Vlcek family are members of the local Czech community, which has stepped up to help them in their time of need.

"Everyone has been reaching out, asking how they can help," said Danihel, whose husband works with David Vlcek as a home inspector. "We have another friend who set up a meal train. They're all set with meals through the end of May. Another friend set up a Facebook page to give regular updates for our friends."

Danihel recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help defray the costs of the Vlcek family's medical expenses. The goal is to raise $100,000. As of 1 p.m., on Tuesday, the campaign has raised more than $52,000 from 289 donors.

"People feel touched," she said. "They show their human side, their philanthropy side, their sense of community by giving a donation. A small donation by a lot of people can make a huge difference."

What inspired Danihel to launch the campaign was a desire to support her friends, because she said that David Vlcek and his wife Karin would do the same thing if the situation were reversed.

"They're the kind of people who do not hesitate to help either," she said. "A year ago, a friend in the Czech community, her husband died, just passed away all of a sudden, and Karin never hesitated. She just grabbed groceries at Whole Foods and dropped it off and help her out."

A few years ago, a close friend of David Vlcek's died and he responded by starting a suicide awareness group.

"They're really wonderful people and everyone who knows David, he's very passionate and very spiritual," Danihel said. "If you met him, after one time, you would feel like you are instant friends. He's just that kind of person. He really touches people's lives."

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, David Vlcek's parents have been unable to come to the U.S. to visit him in the hospital. Some members of the local Czech community are working with the embassy to obtain the necessary paperwork so that they can travel to see him.

All of the support the Vlecks' have been receiving from their friends is helping the family deal with the immediate problem, which is seeing that David receives the necessary care so that he can get well.

Danihel set up the GoFundMe campaign to provide the family with some security going forward. In case David Vlcek has a lengthy recovery that keeps him out of work for a long time or there are medical bills the family's health insurance doesn't cover, the money will provide for them.

"I feel like this kind of thing could happen to any one of us," Danihel said. "This could have been me. What if something had happened to my husband? So these are things where you do not hesitate to help the other person."

To help the Vlcek family throughout David's treatment and recovery, visit the GoFundMe campaign set up by Blanka Danihel.