Jeremy Van Liew towered over everyone who knew him. It’s easy to do when you stand at 6’9”. Even more impressive than his height was his heart. He cared about the things other people didn’t think of. Jeremy was the kind of person you’d meet and feel like you’ve been best friends your entire life. He filled people with encouragement and embodied creativity. With Jeremy, everything was something to notice; every person was someone to enjoy life with.
August 1, 2012 started as a day like any other. Jeremy took a shower as his younger brother James browsed Netflix down the hall. After seeing Jeremy sneak back into his room, James went to ask if he wanted to join him for a movie. Then, everything changed.
A 911-phone call was made while James’ brain became overloaded with information to process. A raging panic had set in. Instructions on how to perform CPR were passed along and performed, but the effort was fruitless. Just moments before James came down the hall, Jeremy died of an aortic aneurysm.
For James and the Van Liew family, life was unrecognizable. With time and the extended arms of the friends and family, James turned his pain and grief into ambition. Jeremy died with a dream and James knew he had to continue building on his brother’s legacy. Jeremy’s spirit lives on in the lives he touched, and continues to be a guiding force for The Aslan Network’s mission.
