Gilroy
– St. Mary School students are helping J.W. Knapen’s dream come
true.
The 16-year-old Bellarmine College Preparatory student has been
battling for his life since last year, when doctors found four
tumors in his brain.
By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – St. Mary School students are helping J.W. Knapen’s dream come true.
The 16-year-old Bellarmine College Preparatory student has been battling for his life since last year, when doctors found four tumors in his brain. After another, inoperable brain tumor was found in April, Knapen created a vision called “JW House.”
“We want to have a place for families of people who are being treated in the hospital to have a place to stay,” said Dr. Alan Wong, Knapen’s oncologist at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center. “(J.W.) wants them to have a place that is just like home.”
Since then, J.W. has launched a campaign to raise the more than $250,000 needed to build the house near the hospital’s new location, set to open in 2006.
St. Mary students heard of his dream and embraced it as their annual school-wide Christmastime project.
In about two weeks, they raised $3,100 to “Raise the roof for the JW House” and presented the Belgian-born Knapen, his mother, Anne Marie Knapen-Asnong, and his doctor with their check Friday morning.
Knapen said he is “very happy” St. Mary students chose to help his cause, adding simply, “Never, ever give up.”
Those four words are his catchphrase, plastered on his Web site and printed on the back of the navy blue sweatshirt he wore to the St. Mary gymnasium. Most of the students who attended Friday’s assembly were wearing blue bracelets – in the fashion of the yellow Lance Armstrong bracelets – bearing the phrase and the image of a house. Before Student Body President Rachele Caserza presented Knapen with the check, the students rose their hands to display the bracelets and cheered, “Never, ever give up!”
Knapen has difficulty speaking, not because he can’t talk, but because he is more forgetful or finds it hard to express himself, his mother told the students. But he read a prepared statement, thanking the students and encouraging them to take comfort in their faith, and sharing some life lessons.
“I would encourage every family to make time for each other, to sit down and enjoy the presence of one another,” said Knapen. As he spoke, the students sat still and silent. The teachers and school staff in the gym wiped their eyes, with smiles on their faces.
“To talk and to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together as much as possible,” Knapen continued. “And to hug and love each other. To do things together and to cherish every single precious family moment. … No matter what happens, never, ever give up. Something good will come out of everything.”
