Former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Krystal “Krissy” Anderson died at the age of 40 shortly after the stillbirth of her daughter, Charlotte Willow Anderson, on March 20, according to a GoFundMe set up in her honor.
Anderson, who was a Chiefs cheerleader for 10 years, died after she underwent three surgeries to fight sepsis, which led to organ failure.
An obituary said Anderson died “unexpectedly” and was preceded in death by her infant son, James Charles, and infant daughter, Charlotte Willow. She is survived by her husband, Clayton.
“Krissy sought out hospitalization during her 21st week of pregnancy, and despite the trauma of losing her baby girl, Charlotte, during childbirth, she fought on,” the GoFundMe page read. “Her fight with sepsis, led to organ failure, and she was placed on life support. Krissy underwent three surgeries, but the source of infection remained elusive. In the early hours of March 20, surrounded by her devoted family, sweet Krissy passed away.”
Anderson’s husband said their daughter was born at rest after doctors couldn’t find a heartbeat when she was 21 weeks pregnant.
“I feel lost,” Clayton told Fox 4 Kansas City. “There’s a lot of people in this house and it feels empty.”
The official Chiefs Cheer Instagram confirmed her death and shared their condolences for their former teammate and captain.
“She was loved and adored by her teammates, fans, and strangers who were never strangers for long,” Chiefs Cheer wrote. “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.
“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, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, commented: “A profound loss for our team, organization, and anyone who ever crossed her path. We love & miss you Krissy.”
Anderson cheered for the Chiefs in more than 100 games from 2006-11 and 2013-16, during which she attended the Pro Bowl as the Chiefs representative in 2015, cheered during the London game and visited U.S. troops around the world, including in Iraq and Kuwait and throughout the U.S.
The KC Chief alum worked as a Software Engineer at Oracle Health (formerly Cerner), where she was awarded a patent for developing software that assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage, according to the obituary.
She was also passionate about healthcare — and pushed for Black women in STEM and women’s health — and served as a yoga instructor with CorePower Yoga.
Anderson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Richmond, where she was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, cheerleader for the football team and a member of the African Dance group.
