The husband of a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader said he is “lost” without her following her sudden death from sepsis days after she gave birth to her stillborn daughter.
Krystal Anderson, 40, was 21 weeks pregnant when doctors couldn’t detect her daughter’s heartbeat. Doctors delivered her child, Charlotte, who was stillborn on March 20.
“I feel lost,” her grieving husband Clayton told Fox4 through tears. “There are a lot of people in this house and it feels empty.”
Tributes have been paid to the former cheerleader and women’s health advocate after her death as she was remembered by loved ones for her “bright smile that could light up the darkest room.”
Krystal Anderson, 40, is seen during her cheering days. Tributes poured in for the beloved wife and friend, as loved ones remembered her for her ‘radiant smile that could light up the darkest room’
Anderson’s grieving husband Clayton said through tears that he feels “lost” without her, adding: “There are a lot of people in this house, and it feels empty.”
She is survived by her husband, Clayton Anderson, to whom she was married for two years. The couple previously experienced another stillbirth before the recent tragedy
It was revealed that on the same day as the stillbirth, Anderson developed a fever and became septic before experiencing organ failure.
She was placed on life support and underwent three surgeries, but ultimately died from complications, she said obituary.
As tributes poured in for Anderson, her friend Shanna Adamic, a welfare advocate, described her as “absolute magic in every sense of the word.”
“She brought it to the field. She brought it to her friendships, she brought it to our travels around the world,” she told Fox4.
“She was an absolute force for good. She made every room light up. It was joyful love,” Clayton added.
Chiefs cheerleaders said on X that the organization was “deeply saddened” by her passing. She cheered for the team for more than 100 games from 2006 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2016.
“During that time, she attended the Pro Bowl representing the Chiefs in 2015, served as captain of her team, cheered at the game in London and visited our troops around the world, including in Iraq, Kuwait and the rest of the United States. the team added.
“She was loved and adored by her teammates, fans and strangers who never remained 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 at gamedays, practices and at events.”
The Chiefs plan to honor Anderson in a future game.
Anderson (pictured with her husband) developed a fever and became septic before experiencing organ failure
Anderson was both a yoga instructor and community activist and was known for her advocacy for women in STEM research. A friend described her as ‘absolute magic in every sense of the word’
“We will miss her kind spirit, cheerful energy and her sparkle,” the message 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 continue to honor her legacy.”
She is survived by her husband of two years, and the couple had previously experienced a stillbirth before she became pregnant with Charlotte.
Their son James was born peacefully, his ashes preserved in a teddy bear that Clayton held during his interview.
A GoFundMe has been created in her honor and has raised more than $70,000 as of Tuesday morning.
The GoFundMe description reads: “Krissy was more than a wife, mother, daughter or friend; she was the personification of magic.
“Her bright smile could light up the darkest room, and her sassy responses always brought laughter and joy.
“She loved her with all her heart and left an impression on all who were fortunate enough to know her.”
The couple had a baby years ago. After their son James was born at rest, his ashes were kept in a teddy bear that Clayton held during his interview
Anderson worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health, where she received a patent for developing software that estimates the risk of postpartum hemorrhage
Former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Krystal Anderson has died suddenly from complications with sepsis, days after giving birth to her stillborn daughter
Anderson (photo). The doctor delivered her daughter Charlotte, who was born peacefully on March 20
Maternal mortality in the United States has more than doubled in the past two decades, 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 Maternal Fetal Medicine 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 counterpart,” said Dr. Marc Parrish, “and when you look at the specific rate, it’s almost three times the rate of white mothers. ‘
“Certainly in the last 20 years,” Parrish said. “We’ve actually seen that in a short period of time, just on an annual basis, we’ve seen a slow increase every year.”
“It’s, you know we say, the best country in the world, right? Not if you’re a black pregnant woman, that’s not it 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 brought it to the field. She brought it to her friendships, she brought it to our travels around the world,” Adamic said.
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 estimates the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.
She was put on life support and underwent three operations, but ultimately died from complications, according to her obituary
Krystal and her husband experienced a stillbirth before becoming pregnant with Charlotte; their son James was born peacefully, his ashes preserved in a teddy bear
Her obituary noted that 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 foods, and spending time on the couch with her husband and their two dogs, Sprocket and Louie.”
Services for Anderson will be held this week.