A longtime Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader who was passionate about women’s health passed away after giving birth.
Krystal “Krissy” Anderson, a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader and yoga instructor, passed away at the age of 40 shortly after giving birth.
The official Chiefs Cheer Instagram confirmed her death and expressed condolences while paying tribute to Anderson. An obituary also shared that Anderson died “unexpectedly” on March 20, “shortly after the birth of her daughter, Charlotte Willow Anderson, who was born at rest.”
“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 statement began. “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.”
The Chiefs Cheer statement added that Anderson “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 game day, practices, and at events,” the statement continued. “We will miss her kind spirit, joyful energy, and her sparkle. 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.”
Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, commented on the post, writing, “A profound loss for our team, organization, and anyone who ever crossed her path. We love & miss you Krissy. Hug Lamar & Norma for us.”
Anderson was also a software engineer, according to her obituary, “making significant contributions to improving healthcare, including being awarded a patent for developing software that assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage.”
She is survived by her husband, Clayton Anderson, whom she married in July 2021, parents Bertha and Burnette Johnson, brother Corey Johnson and several other family members.
A GoFundMe established to cover Anderson’s medical expenses, memorial services and establish a “legacy fund” said that Anderson, 40, had been diagnosed with sepsis during her pregnancy. According to the GoFundMe, Anderson “sought out hospitalization during her 21st week of pregnancy.” After delivering her daughter, Anderson experienced organ failure and was placed on life support. She underwent three surgeries “but the source of infection remained elusive,” the GoFundMe said. Anderson died on March 20.
What Is Sepsis?
Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency caused by your body’s overwhelming response to an infection. Without urgent treatment, it can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death. It’s your body’s extreme reaction to an infection. When you have an infection, your immune system works to try to fight it. But sometimes your immune system stops fighting the infection and starts damaging your normal tissues and organs, leading to widespread inflammation throughout your body.
At the same time, an abnormal chain reaction in your clotting system can cause blood clots to form in your blood vessels. This reduces blood flow to the different organs of your body and can cause significant damage or even failure.
Maternal sepsis is the name for sepsis that develops during pregnancy or up to 6 weeks (42 days) after:
- the birth
- a miscarriage
- an abortion
Maternal sepsis is rare, but it can be life-threatening.
Three Stages of Sepsis
Healthcare providers used to organize sepsis into three stages: sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock. Now, they identify the condition on a more fluid scale. This scale ranges from infection and bacteremia (bacteria in your bloodstream) to sepsis and septic shock, which can lead to dysfunction of multiple organs and even death.
Who Sepsis Affects
Sepsis can affect anyone, but people with any kind of infection, especially bacteremia, are at a particularly high risk.
Other people who are at a high risk include:
- People older than 65 years old, newborns and infants, and pregnant people.
- People with medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and kidney disease.
- People with weakened immune systems.
- People who are in the hospital for other medical reasons.
- People with severe injuries, such as large burns or wounds.
- People with catheters, IVs or breathing tubes.
In an interview with Kansas City Fox affiliate WDAF, Clayton Anderson said that his wife
