Before his death, Frank Fritz had long endured Crohn's disease, which he called "a terrible, terrible" illness.

The American Pickers star was diagnosed with the chronic disease almost 40 years before his passing, and he said, "It's a disease that affects so many peoples' lives and their family members."

As a member of Quad-Cities' Crohn's support group, Fritz dedicated his time to raising awareness about the health condition.

He added, "I'm trying to show people that regardless of the adversities ... and the social situations, the awkwardness, accidents, that you can live a productive life. It's a tough hand I've got dealt to me in my life, but you can still do stuff out there. It's about planning and nutrition and making provisions to yourself for your health and safety."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bowel disease inflames areas of a patient's intestine walls, causing symptoms like mouth sores, diarrhea or malnutrition.