A former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader has died from sepsis days after giving birth to her stillborn daughter.
Krystal Anderson, 40, was 21 weeks pregnant when doctors couldn’t detected her daughter’s heartbeat. Doctor delivered her child, Charlotte, who was born at rest on March 20.
That same day, Anderson spiked a fever and became septic before going into organ failure. She was put on life support and underwent three surgeries, but ultimately passed from the complications, according to her obituary.
She was remembered as having a ‘radiant smile could light up the darkest room.’
‘We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of CC alum Krystal. Krissy cheered with us for over 100 games from 2006-2011 and 2013-2016,’ the Chiefs cheerleaders wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Anderson, 40, is seen during her cheer days. Tributes poured in for the beloved wife and friend
Anderson (pictured with her husband) spiked a fever and became septic before going into organ failure
‘During that time, she attended the Pro Bowl as the Chiefs representative in 2015, served as a captain of her team, cheered during the London game, and visited our troops around the world, including in Iraq, Kuwait, and throughout the United States.
Anderson (pictured). Doctor delivered her daughter, Charlotte, who was born at rest on March 20
‘She was loved and adored by her teammates, fans, and strangers who were never strangers for long.
‘After her time as a cheerleader, she continued to share her love of dance and Chiefs Cheer by serving in an alumni role on gameday, practices, and at events.’
The Chiefs are planning to honor Anderson in the future.
‘We will miss her kind spirit, joyful energy, and her sparkle,’ the post read.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones. We will cherish every moment we had with her. At a later date, we will share how we will continue to honor her legacy.’
She is survived by her husband, Clayton Anderson, who she was married to for two years.
‘I feel lost,’ Anderson told local Fox affiliate WDAF. ‘There’s a lot of people in this house, and it feels empty.
Krystal and her husband experienced a stillborn before they got pregnant with Charlotte. Their baby boy James was born at rest, his ashes saved inside of a teddy bear.
Anderson worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health, where she was awarded a patent for developing software that assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage
Former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Krystal Anderson has died suddenly from complication with sepsis days after giving birth to her stillborn daughter
‘She was an absolute force for good. She made every room just light up. It was joyful love,’ Clayton said, holding the bear tightly.
Maternal mortality in the United States have more than doubled over the past 20 years, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year. Black mothers reportedly had the greatest death rate.
Dr. Marc Parrish, the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division Director at the University of Kansas Health System, said this is a well-known statistic in the medical community.
‘It’s very well known that Black mothers in the United States die at a higher rate than their white counter part,’ Dr. Marc Parrish said, ‘and if you look at the specific rate it’s almost three times almost three times of white moms.’
‘Definitely over the last two decades,’ Parrish said. ‘We’ve even seen it as in short of a period of, just an annual basis, we’ve seen slow rises every year.’
‘It’s, you know we say, the best country in the world, right? Not if you’re a Black pregnant woman, it’s not and that needs to change,’ Clayton said.
Shanna Adamic, a former Chiefs cheerleader who cheered with Krystal, said her friend of 18 years ‘was absolute magic in every sense of the word.’
She was put on life support and underwent three surgeries, but ultimately passed from the complications, according to her obituary
She is survived by her husband, Clayton Anderson, who she was married to for two years
‘She brought it on the field. She brought it to her friendships, she brought it to our tours we had around the world,’ Adamic said.
A GoFundMe has been made in her honor, and has raised more than $66,000 as of Tuesday morning.
The description of the GoFundMe reads: ‘Krissy was more than a wife, mother, daughter or friend; she was magic personified.
‘Her radiant smile could light up the darkest room, and her sassy responses never failed to bring laughter and joy.
‘She loved with her whole heart, leaving an imprint on everyone fortunate enough to know her.’
A proud advocate for women in STEM, Anderson worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health, where she was awarded a patent for developing software that assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage.
Krystal and her husband experienced a stillborn before they got pregnant with Charlotte; their baby boy James was born at rest, his ashes saved inside of a teddy bear
Anderson was a yoga instructor as well as a community activist
Her obituary said Anderson donated much of her time to the community, helping with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Kansas City, Gabriella’s Little Library and the First Hand Foundation.
‘She fiercely advocated for Black women in STEM and women’s health,’ the obituary said.
‘In her spare time, she enjoyed dancing, laughing with her sisters, practicing and teaching yoga, dinners with exotic and spicy food, and spending couch time with her husband and their two dogs, Sprocket and Louie.’
Services for Anderson are being held this week.
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