The husband of a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader gave a touching tribute to his ‘best friend’ at her funeral after her sudden death from sepsis, days after she gave birth to their stillborn daughter.
Krystal Anderson, 40, delivered her daughter Charlotte, who was stillborn on March 20. She then spiked a fever and became septic before going into organ failure.
A funeral service was held for Anderson on Thursday at the Christ Community Church Leawood Campus.
‘She was my beautiful wife, my best friend, my person and in the role I loved watching her embrace, a mother,’ said her grieving husband Clayton.
‘When we found out we were pregnant with Charlotte,’ he said. ‘ Krystal and I were over the moon. I was going to be a girl Dad and Krystal was going to have her mini me.’
‘I already knew little Miss was going to keep me on my toes because her mother was going to encourage her to do that.’
Former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader Krystal Anderson died suddenly from complication with sepsis days after giving birth to her stillborn daughter
Her grieving husband Clayton said at the funeral, ‘She was my beautiful wife, my best friend, my person and in the role I loved watching her embrace, a mother’
She is survived by her husband, whom she was married to for two years, and the couple had previously experienced a stillbirth with their son James before she got pregnant with Charlotte.
‘After our son James Charles was born still she vowed to continue being his mother and to say his name. She wasn’t ashamed that he wasn’t here.’
‘Krystal felt so blessed and so lucky to be a mother and I know in my heart that she is up there doing an amazing job with those sweet babes,’ Clayton said.
‘All three of them waiting for Dad and our fur boys to join them some day when we can all be together.’
Fellow Kansas City Chiefs cheerleaders shared fond memories with their beloved teammate who they said brought people together and made an effort to get to know everyone she met.
‘I feel lost,’ Clayton told Fox4 through tears. ‘There’s a lot of people in this house, and it feels empty.’
Their baby boy James was born at rest, his ashes saved inside of a teddy bear that Clayton clutched in his interview.
Tributes have poured in for the former cheerleader and women’s health advocate after her death, as she was remembered by loved ones for her ‘radiant smile that could light up the darkest room.’
Chiefs cheerleaders said on X that the organization was ‘deeply saddened’ by her passing. She cheered for the team for over 100 games from 2006 to 2011, and again from 2013 to 2016.
‘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 team added.
Anderson (pictured with her husband) spiked a fever and became septic before going into organ failure
Anderson worked as a software engineer at Oracle Health, where she was awarded a patent for developing software that assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage
‘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 serving in an alumni role on gameday, practices, and at events.’
The Chiefs are planning to honor Anderson in a future game.
‘We will miss her kind spirit, joyful energy, and her sparkle,’ the post 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 will continue to honor her legacy.’
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 on the field. She brought it to her friendships, she brought it to our tours we had 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 assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage.
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.
Tributes poured in for the beloved wife and friend, as she was remembered by loved ones for her ‘radiant smile that could light up the darkest room’
She is survived by her husband Clayton Anderson, who she was married to for two years. The couple previously experienced another stillbirth before the recent tragedy
‘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 food, and spending couch time with her husband and their two dogs, Sprocket and Louie.’
A GoFundMe has been made in her honor, and has raised more than $75,000 as of Thursday morning.
The description of the GoFundMe 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 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.’
