JW House began as the idea of Jan-Willem (JW) Knapen, a boy who in the midst of battling cancer, wanted to do something to help other children and families facing similar situations.
JW, born in Belgium, was no stranger to challenges. He started life two months premature and was diagnosed with leukemia at age four. Despite these early hardships he thrived and moved to San Jose with his family: Anne Marie, Geert, Helena, and Elisabeth. Two years later his brother Alexander was born. During this time, JW blossomed into a talented, generous, and happy teenager with an infectious smile.
In 2002, while a freshman at Bellarmine College Preparatory, JW suffered seizures and was later diagnosed with brain cancer. Throughout chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, JW remained positive and hopeful though he knew he faced an uphill battle. He developed a special friendship with his doctor, Alan Wong, and began to think of ways he could leave something to help his friend as well as other children who might follow in his footsteps.
With his smile and sense of humor intact, JW began raising gifts of time and money from those around him. Within a couple of years he succeeded in raising several hundred thousand dollars from all over the world. He helped with the sale of blue wristbands emblazoned with his motto: “Never Ever Give Up!” and inspired bake sales, pancake breakfasts, lemonade stands, an art show, and a Christmas concert.
Thousands of individual and group donors, young and old, from across the globe sent in heartfelt donations from $2.00 to $100,000!
Help make a difference and support JW's dream!
The Making of the JW House Logo
JW's Mother Remembers
It is August of 2004. JW comes out of a coma and once again faces huge life threatening challenges. He not only has physical problems to deal with but his memory is also recuperating and he often has trouble getting out what is inside his mind. His hands are shaking at this time of his life, so drawing the logo himself is extremely difficult – if not impossible.
We have learned to help though and so far, with a lot of patience, love and perseverance, we have always been able to succeed. We quickly learn that getting the logo out of JW’s creative brain and onto a piece of paper is a new experience and quite a challenge for us, his parents and helpers. This is our story, a story of dreaming. Dreaming together.
When I discover he has a childish image in mind with bright and happy colors, I ask his sisters to bring me some of their most colorful picture books. We go through lots of them, until I open Designed by God So I Must be Special. This is the book JW used to read for his sisters over and over and all of our kids just loved it. It is in fact a very happy book! So together with JW, we chose the colors and designed the logo as you see it today. This is what the logo represents:
A House —
Because that is what his dream is all about: building a home away from home.
A red house —
Red is the color of the heart. This is a house with a heart!
A red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) —
You are welcome to join us!
A red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney —
There is a fireplace burning inside the house. People are gathering around it and talking and loving each other and sharing good feelings. It is warm in there and cozy. It is good to live there!
A fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney —
Because that is just him: a guy who loves to have fun and make jokes and surprise people by what you can do even when your foundations are not so very solid.
A fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a hill —
That is life: ups and downs but after every down, there is an up!
A fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a green hill —
The grass means life; the house must live and blossom!
A sun above and in a fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a green hill —
We want light, brightness, and sun everywhere: outside, in the house, and in our hearts.
A smiling sun above and in a fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a green hill —
Always look at the bright side of life! Shine with the gift and talents you have (left) and don’t sob over those things you never got or lost.
A cloud next to a smiling sun above and in a fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a green hill —
Sometimes clouds come over us or into our lives. It is our challenge to overcome them.
A blue cloud next to a smiling sun above and in a fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a green hill —
Blue makes the cloud less threatening, more friendly. It is the color of the sky, of heaven and of faith. Blue is the color of the oceans. It symbolizes trust and loyalty, wisdom and confidence, intelligence and truth, and blue it is the color of Bellarmine!
A blue cloud next to a smiling sun above and in a fun looking red house (with a door, a doorknob and windows) with smoke coming out of the chimney on a green hill above a wavy JW House —
Dreams aren’t straight —they wave. The house is my dream.
Are you still with me? I hope next time you look at the logo, you will feel a JW-twinkle in your heart!
Love,
Anne Marie, JW’s mom
