Jaroslav Zika

Country: Czech Republic
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired engineer
Year of diagnosis: 1987
Type of MS: Primary progressive

Read this profile in Czech





I was born and grew up in Prague and studied civil engineering at České Vysoké UČení Technické (Czech Technical University) also in Prague. I worked first as a designer and then a construction supervisor. In my leisure time I was very sporty; I used to play football professionally and I enjoyed travelling internationally to work at children's camps as an instructor.

It was at a children's camp in Germany 25 years ago that I started to experience problems with walking and coordination. My sister Elsa had had chronic progressive MS and passed away aged 30, so I was suspicious that it could be MS. Initially, I did not want to believe it and I didn't go to the doctor for another five years; in 1987 I was diagnosed with primary progressive MS. However, at that time in my country, doctors didn't share diagnoses with their patients so I wasn’t told. Fortunately, two years later in 1989, an exceptional neurologist specialising in MS, Professor Jedlicka, informed me of my diagnosis and began treating my MS.

On being given the diagnosis I decided to fight the disease and despite having to end my professional career in 1993, I used all my managerial experience and financial expertise to establish the independent ROSKA Union, the Czech MS Society, in 1992.

Of course, I am also very lucky to have the continued support of my family - my wife Jarmila, her brothers and sisters, my sons Jiří, Michal, Jaroslav and Jan and my grandchildren Michal, Jakub, Lukáš, Filip, Anička and Agáta – all of whom have been a great help to me throughout.

When thinking about how MS has influenced my life, I realise I lost my job and mobility to MS, but on the other hand I have learned things I would otherwise never have found out. My values in life, my priorities and way of living, have fundamentally changed - but I do not consider all these changes to be negative. Through my MS I have met people, such as my yoga teacher, whose sincerity and praise continues to inspire me.

I tried to draw on all of the positive qualities that people with MS have when building ROSKA, and I believe I was successful. Over the past 15 years we have become one of the most respected non-profit sector societes in the Czech Republic. Our annual budget is now €500,000 and our society has 38 branches all over the country. I believe our society's work raises awareness of both MS and the many treatments available for people with MS in the Czech Republic. Learn more about our work and achievements.

In addition to my role as president of ROSKA, I worked in the Presidium (Executive Committee) of the Czech Council of Humanitarian Organisations and I now work in the country’s National Council of Handicapped People.

In 2001, I established the Fund for the Support of Treatment, Research and Promotion of MS and in 2007 the Fund for the Support of Handicapped People in Employment. In 2001 my philanthropic work was recognised by an award from Olga Havlova's (the wife of the first president of the Czech Republic) Committee of Goodwill.

One of the high points of my work for the ROSKA will definitely be the MSIF, ROSKA and The European MS Platform (EMSP) event Prague07 - Living with MS:Today and Tomorrow to be held in Prague on 10 October 2007. We are very proud to be co-hosting such an important event, particularly as this year ROSKA celebrates its 15th anniversary. I will also be standing down from my post as president on the day.




Finally, I would like to send a message to all people with MS: do not despair and do not give up, fight your disease, try to be active at work as long as possible, and, above all, live full lives. I know it is difficult sometimes, but believe me it is worth it.