The Entire Dubašnica Community Raises €27,120 for 15-Year-Old Leonardo's Life
A charity concert in Malinska drew hundreds of people who came to support 15-year-old Leonardo Augustinović in his fight against the return of a malignant brain tumor.
A charity concert in Malinska drew hundreds of people who came to support 15-year-old Leonardo Augustinović in his fight against the return of a malignant brain tumor.
Fifteen-year-old Leonardo Augustinović, diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in the pineal gland area in October 2025, received a message from his friends in the music quartet GPS from the stage in front of DUBoak in Malinska: "We want you to come back to school". It was their first public performance, and according to Novi list, they delivered it flawlessly, without stage fright and with all their hearts.
The concert, held on Monday, August 17, 2026, was the centerpiece of an emotional movement started by Leonardo's closest friends. Hundreds of people gathered, and tourists curiously asked what was happening. The answer was simple: celebrating and fighting for a life.
After his diagnosis, Leonardo underwent surgery in Zagreb, four cycles of chemotherapy, and proton therapy in Prague. After treatment, the tumor could no longer be detected, but fresh test results revealed that the disease had returned and spread to the spinal canal, specifically the spine area. As a result, he faces treatment once again.
His father, Marko Augustinović, is a single parent who has been by his son's side throughout the entire treatment. To cover travel costs, stays in Zagreb and Prague, and medical expenses, he took out a loan that he is still paying off. The new treatment costs were the reason the local community rallied together to offer support.
Matej Šplehar, Leonardo's longtime friend, explained how it all started: "When I heard that Leonardo's illness had returned, I told my friends and my uncle Igor that we should do something, and the story took off with a collective will. I'm really happy with how many people gathered, coming to support the cause".
The youth of Dubašnica rose to the occasion, forgetting their phones and social media, and turned out in large numbers to help wherever needed. Drinks were distributed, and food offerings included fish stew with polenta and pancakes. Each individual contributed as much as they deemed appropriate and possible.
The program began at 7 PM with children's activities: a creative workshop, face painting, and hanging out and taking photos with the Unicorn mascot. The music program started at 8 PM, and on stage appeared GPS - Glasna Pubertetska Sekcija, made up of students from Srednja škola Hrvatski kralj Zvonimir Krk, who are Leonardo's classmates.
The young musical duo Duo Beep also performed, followed by Ema Bubić with the Two Days Late band. The crowd wouldn't let them leave the stage, so they performed encore after encore. Ema Bubić said: "As soon as we got the call, we were already there in spirit on stage for Leonardo, eager to give our all. We're glad we could be part of this positive atmosphere tonight. We believe Leonardo will be fine, and we urge everyone to make a donation for his treatment".
The program was then taken over by DJ Luca Montecchi and DJ Alan, and the gathering with dancing, laughter, and pleasant conversations stretched late into the night.
Željko Augustinović, Leonardo's uncle and Marko's brother, came with his family from Germany as soon as he heard about the event. "We found out about the charity concert a few days ago and came from Germany to support the cause, of course. I find this very emotional, how many people gathered and came to support Leonardo, a very intelligent boy who at his age should be worrying about other things than what has befallen him", he said, moved by the support.
At the end of the concert, the total raised stood at exactly €27,120.57.
Donations for Leonardo's treatment can be made to his father Marko Augustinović's account, using payment model HR99 and the payment description "POMOĆ DJETETU".
