Amanda Krysa actively moved about the kitchen cooking ratatouille for her two sons, Parker and Preston.

Her husband, Shawn Krysa, graduated from Park University in July 2014 with a communications degree in organizational leadership after years of intermittent study at Park since 1996.

His time at Park came during the most difficult years of his family’s life.

The Krysa family welcomed their son, Preston, in early 2009. Seven and a half months later, the joys of celebrating his new life came crashing to the ground in September 2010.

Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I remember I went into my boss’s office and bawled my eyes out for an hour,” said Shawn, after receiving the news. “I had no idea how we were going to do this. It was the worst day of my life.”

Amanda immediately began her treatment and for the past five years, the couple has been struggling in a battle against cancer.

Shawn supported Amanda and their sons by working full-time.

Amanda maintained the home and children behind-the-scenes while pushing Shawn to finish his degree during the hardest years of her breast cancer.

They have taken countless flights back and forth from MD Anderson’s Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, trying to find an answer and learning cancer treatment has adverse side effects.

“Cancer affects everything,” said Shawn, “It came out of nowhere and forced us to change diets, no GMOs, no processed foods and only farmers market vegetables. No joke, we learned as much as we could about everything because the treatment is worse than the cancer.”

After numerous trips, hope had dwindled when a test revealed the cancer had progressed to stage four, the final stage in breast cancer, where it metastasized and spots began to show on Amanda’s bones.

“The silver lining is that we began to see a holistic doctor,” said Shawn.

“I had two aunts who passed away from cancer. They did everything the doctor said but they passed away still, [Amanda] needed the supplements because [cancer] destroys everything.”

Three months later, the spots were gone and Amanda and Shawn found themselves traveling less frequently to Houston for checkups.

They believe Amanda is nearly cancer free.

Today, the Krysa family is stable and Shawn works as a truck load coverage specialist for Freight Quote, a company who has always stood by him and his family as they have progressed through these difficult years.

Through such a” turbulent time with ups and downs around each corner,” Amanda admits.

“My hero is, without a shadow of a doubt, my husband Shawn,” said Amanda. “My husband has been through it all.”

“I didn’t want to [walk for graduation],” said Shawn, “but I felt bad because [Amanda] had been watching the kids and Parker wanted to see me walk, so I put on my robe, my hat and it felt good. The fact that Amanda kept pushing me makes her the hero.”