Former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader died at the age of 40 from sepsis following the stillbirth of her daughter at 21 weeks.
“We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of CC alum Krystal,” the Kansas City Chiefs’ cheerleaders’ official Instagram account shared on Tuesday, March 26, revealing that Krissy was a part of the squad for “over 100 games from 2006 – 2011 and 2013 – 2016” before leaving the team.
“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 caption continued. “She was loved and adored by her teammates, fans, and strangers who were never strangers for long.”
Following her time as a Chiefs cheerleader, Krissy served “in an alumni role on gameday, practices, and at events,” the caption read.
“We will miss her kind spirit, joyful energy, and her sparkle. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones,” the cheerleaders concluded. “We will cherish every moment we had with her. At a later date, we will share how we will continue to honor her legacy.”
A GoFundMe created to honor her memory shared that Krissy died on March 20 “after a brave battle against sepsis.” She was hospitalized during the 21st week of pregnancy and lost daughter Charlotte — whom she shared with husband Clayton Anderson — during childbirth. Krissy was put on life support after her sepsis led to organ failure. Despite three surgeries, “source of infection remained elusive,” which led to her death. (Krissy and Clayton previously experienced a stillbirth with son James before getting pregnant with Charlotte.)
The GoFundMe had an original goal of $25,000, which has since been surpassed.
“Krissy was more than a wife, mother, daughter or friend; she was magic personified,” the GoFundMe page reads “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.”
Krissy’s husband spoke briefly about her loss to local Kansas City outlet Fox 4 on Monday, March 25.
“I feel lost. There’s a lot of people in this house and it feels empty,” he said, reflecting on their relationship. “It was a joyful love.”
