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Petra Nemcova survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand by clinging to a palm tree for eight hours, despite severe injuries, according to All Hands & Hearts. In 2005, she founded Happy Hearts Fund to rebuild safe, resilient schools in disaster-affected communities. The fund later merged with All Hands Volunteers to form All Hands & Hearts.
How Petra Nemcova survived the 2004 tsunami
The Indian Ocean tsunami struck on December 26, 2004, while Nemcova was in Thailand. All Hands & Hearts recounts that the water swept her away and that she held onto a palm tree for eight hours while injured. The organization’s 2024 retrospective says her pelvis was broken in four places and she suffered severe internal bleeding. These details come from the organization’s accounts, not independently published medical records.
Her fiancé died in the disaster, according to the same 2024 retrospective. The available accounts establish the basic sequence of her survival, but do not provide a detailed, independently documented chronology of her medical treatment or physical and psychological recovery.
What charity did Petra Nemcova start after the tsunami?
Happy Hearts Fund
Nemcova founded Happy Hearts Fund in 2005 to rebuild safe, resilient schools in communities affected by natural disasters. All Hands & Hearts connects the fund’s origins to her experience in Thailand and to children she heard calling for help while she could not reach them. The organization’s account of her profile and mission is available on its team page.
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How the fund became All Hands & Hearts
In 2017, Happy Hearts Fund merged with All Hands Volunteers to form All Hands & Hearts. The organization describes its work as disaster response and long-term recovery, including helping children return to school. Nemcova is identified by the organization as a co-founder and board vice-chair; board and leadership positions can change.
What the reported impact figures mean
Impact totals vary by publication date and by what is being counted. They should be read as dated snapshots, not combined into a single current total.
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| Publisher and date | Reported figures | How to read them |
|---|---|---|
| All Hands & Hearts, December 13, 2024 | Over 1.4 million lives across 28 countries; 362 schools rebuilt; 205,000 homes helped to restore; 68,300 volunteers from 144 countries | Organization-reported retrospective totals as of its December 2024 publication. Read the retrospective. |
| United Nations, 2019 | 232 resilient schools financed in more than 12 countries, benefiting over 100,000 children | A historical snapshot using “financed,” rather than the 2024 retrospective’s “rebuilt” measure. Read the UN profile. |
The Happy Hearts Czech Foundation profile lists more than 1.5 million people helped in 30 countries and 370 schools built, but does not give a clear as-of date. Without a dated basis for comparison, the explicitly dated figures above provide the clearest context.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Nemcova’s stated outlook
All Hands & Hearts attributes this sentence to Nemcova: “We can’t control nature, but we can control the actions we take.” The foundation’s focus on rebuilding schools reflects that emphasis on practical recovery after disaster.
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