Karel's suicide is still a very painful thing for the whole family. "Yet we decided, and for the sake of our son, to turn the pain into something meaningful. This is a foundation that aims to help other young people with mental health problems. I'm sure my son would agree and support it," says his mother, Ivana Ašenbrener, also speaking for her husband and two sons.

The foundation wants to help teenagers who are in similar situations to Karel Ašenbrener. A survey by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that the mental state of young people is very poor. One in three ninth-graders in the Czech Republic show signs that indicate moderate to severe anxiety. In addition, four out of ten show signs of moderate to severe depression. According to the Czech Statistical Office, 1 302 people took their own lives in the Czech Republic in 2022. This statistic is rising fastest among young people. Suicide now accounts for a quarter of all deaths in the 15 to 24 age group.