A former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader died of sepsis days after giving birth to her stillborn daughter.
Krystal Anderson, 40, was 21 weeks pregnant when doctors couldn’t detect her daughter’s heartbeat. The doctor gave birth to her daughter, Charlotte, who was born at rest on March 20.
That same day, Anderson developed a fever and became septic before suffering organ failure. She was put on life support and underwent three surgeries, but ultimately died due to complications, she said. obituary.
She was remembered for having a “radiant smile that could light up the darkest room.”
‘We are deeply saddened by the recent death of Krystal, a CC student. “Krissy cheered with us for over 100 games between 2006-2011 and 2013-2016,” the Chiefs cheerleaders wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Anderson, 40, is seen during her cheerleading days. Tributes for beloved wife and friend
Anderson (pictured with her husband) developed a fever and became septic before suffering organ failure.
“During that time, she attended the Pro Bowl as a representative of the Chiefs in 2015, served as 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. Joined. .
Anderson (pictured). The doctor gave birth to 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 playing an alumni role on game days, practices and events.”
The Chiefs plan to honor Anderson in the future.
“We will miss her kind spirit, her joyful energy and her brightness,” the post read.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. We will cherish every moment we had with her. We will share later how we will continue to honor her legacy.”
She is survived by her husband, Clayton Anderson, to whom she was married for two years.
“I feel lost,” Anderson told local Fox affiliate WDAF. ‘There are a lot of people in this house and it feels empty.
Krystal and her husband suffered a stillbirth before becoming pregnant with Charlotte. Her baby James was born at rest and her ashes were kept inside a teddy bear.
Anderson worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health, where she obtained a patent to develop software that assesses the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Krystal Anderson died suddenly from complications of sepsis days after giving birth to her stillborn daughter.
‘She was an absolute force for good. She made every room light up. “It was joyful love,” Clayton said, hugging the bear tightly.
Maternal mortality in the United States has more than doubled in the last 20 years, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Black mothers reportedly had the highest mortality rate.
Dr. Marc Parrish, director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Kansas Health System, said this is a well-known statistic in the medical community.
“It is well known that black mothers in the United States die at a higher rate than their white counterparts,” said Dr. Marc Parrish, “and if you look at the specific rate, it is almost three times that of mothers white”. ‘
“Definitely over the last two decades,” Parrish said. “We’ve seen even in a short period, just annually, we’ve seen slow increases each year.”
‘It’s, you know, we say, the best country in the world, right? No, if you’re a pregnant black woman, it’s not and that needs to change,” Clayton said.
Shanna Adamic, a former Chiefs cheerleader who cheered with Krystal, said her 18-year-old friend “was absolute magic in every sense of the word.”
He was put on life support and underwent three surgeries, but ultimately died due to complications, according to his obituary.
She is survived by her husband, Clayton Anderson, to whom she was married for two years.
‘She brought him to the field. “She brought it to her friendships, she brought it to our tours that we did all over the world,” Adamic said.
A GoFundMe has been created in his honor and has raised more than $66,000 as of Tuesday morning.
The GoFundMe description 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 cheeky responses never failed to spark laughter and joy.
“She loved with all her heart, leaving a mark on everyone who was lucky enough to know her.”
A proud advocate for women in STEM, Anderson worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health, where she obtained a patent to develop software that assesses the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
Krystal and her husband suffered a stillbirth before becoming pregnant with Charlotte; Her baby James was born at rest, her ashes kept inside a teddy bear
Anderson was a yoga instructor and 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 free time, she enjoyed dancing, laughing with her sisters, practicing and teaching yoga, dining on exotic and spicy foods, and spending time on the couch with her husband and two dogs, Sprocket and Louie.”
Services for Anderson will be held this week.
