Krystal “Krissy” Anderson, a 40-year-old yoga teacher and former cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs, passed away.
In addition to expressing sorrow and confirming Anderson’s passing, the Chiefs cheer official Instagram paid homage to her. Anderson passed away “unexpectedly” on March 20, “shortly after the birth of her daughter, Charlotte Willow Anderson, who was born at rest,” according to her obituary.
“The sudden demise of CC alumna Krystal saddens us greatly. From 2006 to 2011 and 2013 to 2016, Krissy cheered alongside us at more than 100 games,” the statement said. “During that time, she cheered during the London game, visited our troops throughout the world, including in Iraq, Kuwait, and the United States, and attended the Pro Bowl as the Chiefs representative in 2015.”
Anderson “was loved and adored by her teammates, fans, and strangers who were never strangers for long,” the Chiefs Cheer statement said.
“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 said, referring to her stint as a cheerleader. We will miss her glitter, happy energy, and gentle disposition. Her family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers. Every second we spent with her will be treasured. We will reveal later on how we want to carry on her legacy.
“A profound loss for our team, organization, and anyone who ever crossed her path,” said Tavia Hunt, the wife of Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt, in her remark on the page. We miss and adore you, Krissy. For us, give Lamar and Norma a hug.
According to her obituary, Anderson was also a software engineer who “made significant contributions to improving healthcare, including being awarded a patent for developing software that assesses the risk of post-partum hemorrhage.”
Her parents, Bertha and Burnette Johnson, her brother, Corey Johnson, and several other family members survive her. She married Clayton Anderson in July 2021.
Her young son, James Charles, passed away before her, according to her obituary.
Clayton Anderson said in a Fox affiliate interview in Kansas City, WDAF, that his wife had a fever after the stillbirth of their daughter. He said she fought sepsis, which resulted in three operations and organ failure.
“I feel like I’m lost,” said Clayton Anderson. “This house feels empty, even though there are a lot of people in it.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, sepsis is the result of the body reacting inappropriately to an infection, which impairs organ function. Severe sepsis may worsen into septic shock, which lowers blood pressure and damages vital organs to the point of death.
In the US, rates of black maternal death have traditionally been high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that during delivery, black women are almost three times more likely to die than white women.
Dr. Jessica Shepherd, an OB-GYN at Sanctum Med + Wellness in Dallas, said in February that “a fundamental change in the actual foundation of health care systems is required” to lower the black maternal death rate. That would include addressing insurance coverage, improving access to resources, and establishing tertiary care facilities or systems located in impoverished food desert regions.
Additionally, research indicates that patients who get treatment from physicians that resemble them do better, according to OB-GYN Dr. Chavone Momon-Nelson.
Approximately 5–6% of all doctors are black. Two percent of doctors are black females, according to her statement. “There is very little chance that someone would be treated by a black doctor if there are only two to five percent of people who look like you among doctors.”
SOURCE: NBC NEWS
