Our beginnings go back to 2004, when Adam M. Cieśla - the founder of our Hospice and the Fund - made a decision to bring to life Joseph Tischner Children's Hospice in Cracow. The initiative was launched thanks to numerous inspirations that our founder adopted from the surrounding world. As a keen philosophy enthusiast, including thought of priest and professor Jozef Tischner, Karol Wojtyła or Martin Heidegger, he read their works devoted to love, good, another man's suffering, poverty, pathos and heroism. The idea grew upon him and let him finally decide to take things into his own hands. Its meaning, in the simplest terms, was helping children in need within their natural life environment. That is how the idea of home hospice for children originated.

Home hospice is a place where a terminally ill child receives medical, nursing, psychological, rehabilitative and educational support and all these activities are consistent with the principles of palliative care. The aid is given in the child's family home, among its family, in the comfort of home and pervasive love. Next steps of creating our hospice were merely a formality: registration in Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy, registration as a private healthcare establishment and mustering a team of professionals. The premises for our office was given from Metropolitan Curia in Cracow. Interestingly, it is in the same building at 11 Rozana St. that Karol Wojtyla prayed in the rosary circle during WWII. Those meetings were held by Jan Tyranowski, who was the owner of the tenement house.

Many people of good will helped to bring the hospice to life. Many eminent persons, who are now members of Patronage Council, the Foundation Council and the Foundation Board, expressed their willingness to support. At present we are helped with the knowledge, skills and experience contributed by:

Patronage Council
cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz
prof. dr hab. n. med. Stanisław Korzeniowski
dr hab. n. med. Maciej Kowalczyk, Director of University Children’s Hospital of Cracow
ks. bp prof. Tadeusz Pieronek
prof. dr hab. Marian Tischner

Foundation Council
prof. Jerzy Stuhr, chairman
prof. dr hab. Tadeusz Gadacz,deputy chairman
dr Adam Hernas

Foundation Board
Adam M. Cieśla, Chairman of the Management Board, Founder
dr hab. n. med. Jolanta Goździk, Member of the Management Board responsible for medical care
dr n. med. Aleksandra Krasowska-Kwiecień, Member of the Management Board responsible for medical documentation and training
Dorota Zygadło, Member of the Management Board responsible for nursing and medical equipment.

Priest Joseph Tischner Children's Hospice in Cracow has been working since November 7th, 2004. During nine years of operation, we have helped out several hundred families, supporting them in the difficult experience of incurable disease and also helping them to deal with the troubles of everyday life.

We would like to express sincere thanks to all the Donors and all the people who support us but first of all we would like to thank the families who remind us every day, what our intentions were when we were bringing this place to life…