Parents Lose Courageous Battles With ALS, Cancer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Three years ago we brought you the story of the Kryzer family. Dan and Andrea were raising their son and daughter, while each battled a life-threatening disease.

In 2009 Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer which later spread to her bones. Later that same year, Dan was diagnosed with ALS.

Related: In Sickness & In Health: Husband & Wife Face Cancer, ALS

"I felt so lucky we were able to have kids. We felt complete at that point. Like we had it all. We had everything we wanted," said Andrea in April, 2013.

In 2013, Andrea and Dan were focused on their blessings, not their misfortunes. Each was battling a terminal disease, but they were putting their strength in Jax and Ella.

"You can't write that story. The fact that you have two parents that love and adore their children and then they are faced with this on a daily basis, where they need to understand they are fighting for their lives," said family friend Pat Meyer.

Meyer was friends with Dan since childhood.

"Just a great guy. A fighter. Someone you'd want to be around," said Meyer.

And when Dan and Andrea got married, it was Andrea's giving personality that stood out to Meyer.

"It was always about someone else. All about helping others. That was Andrea," said Meyer.

Sadly, on February 15th, Andrea lost her battle with cancer. And less than two weeks later, on Friday, Dan passed away after a 7-year battle with ALS.

"Everyone is in awe of what's just happened. With two parents passing within two weeks, everybody goes to the support of the children to make sure they are taken care of," said Meyer.

Meyer said Jax, who is now 10, and Ella, who is now 8-years-old, are doing as well as can be expected. The children will be going to live with Andrea's relatives.

Meyer's hoping they grow up knowing their parents never gave up, and they brought awareness to two devastating diseases. Meyer said Andrea's diagnosis may have saved her sister's life.

"At the time she had her sister go out and get tested as well. Come to find out she had that same gene that runs in her family was also affecting her sister. I think Dan and Andrea would both want to be known as fighters. They had a lot support with friends and family around them," said Meyer.

Andrea's funeral was Sunday and Dan's will be on Friday.

In lieu of flowers, Andrea was asking that donations be made to the Andrea J. Kryzer Trust at Wells Fargo Bank. The money from that trust fund will to Jax and Ella when they are older.