When doctors diagnosed a San Jose boy with a brain tumor, he decided to focus -- not on his own battle, but on his dream to help other young patients.

J.W. Knapen hopes to build a house of hope for sick children and their families, NBC11's Marianne Favro reported.

Every day, Knapen pushes through pain, dizziness and fatigue to work on fund raisers for a dream house. Not one where he will live, but a place where sick children can stay with their families while they undergo treatments.

He hopes to call it the J.W. House.

The 15-year-old has spent many hours of his young life in hospitals.

At age 4, doctors diagnosed him with leukemia. He did beat it, but only to fight another battle just a few years later.

"The doctors discovered I had a brain tumor," Knapen said.

Doctors removed most of the tumor, but now a second one has developed. Despite chemotherapy and radiation, it continues to grow.

His oncologist is impressed and humbled by his patient's courage.

"While he is suffering from all these ailments he doesn't think about himself. He thinks about how to help me help other people. It makes him very special," said Dr. Alan Wong.

Knapen knows what its like to be separated from family during treatment and hopes he can change that for other young patients and their parents.

"I want it to feel like home, not like a hospital in any way," Knapen said.

After asking friends and family from his native land of Belgium to donate to his building fund, he raised $10,000.

But he's not stopping there. The avid artist plans to sell his whimsical clay sculptures to raise more money.

"It gives us so much more energy because we have plans. There is a future again," said Anne Marie Knapen, J.W.'s mother.

Just months after starting his quest, J.W. has already raised $50,000 for his dream -- even though he realizes he may not live to see it built.

"His prognosis is not very good. Most likely, we will not be able to control the tumor," Wong said.

But there's no time to dwell on his condition because J.W. is too busy designing wristbands to sell.

"The motto on the wristbands is never ever give up," he said.

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