In what should have been a joyous occasion for the Kansas City Chiefs turned mournful. Krystal Lakeshia Anderson, a longtime Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader, died after giving birth on March 20, 2024. She was only 40. Just a month shy of her 41st birthday on April 27, she had big plans for her future.

As per the information available, she developed sepsis during her pregnancy. She was hospitalized during her 21st week of pregnancy. After giving birth to her stillborn daughter, Charlotte Willow, Anderson experienced organ failure and passed away. Despite undergoing three surgeries, the source of the infection was elusive.

Previously, she also experienced a pregnancy loss in 2022- her son James Charles. She is survived by her husband, Clayton William Anderson, and her parents. Krystal Anderson (nee Cunnigham) was born to parents Carlyle and Bertha Cunnigham in Killeen, Texas.

Lovingly known as ‘Krissy’, she cheered for the Chiefs in more than 100 games. No doubt, ‘Chiefs Cheer’ took to Instagram to talk about her contribution. “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. 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.”

“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.”

Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt’s wife Tavia Hunt said that Anderson’s passing was “a profound loss for our team, organization, and anyone who ever crossed her path.” Krystal’s funeral service is set to take place at Christ Community Church – Leawood Campus on March 28.

Anderson’s husband is heartbroken. “I feel lost… There’s a lot of people in this house and it feels empty,” he shared. Similarly, Anderson’s colleague, Claire Murphy-Sewell, remembered her as someone who loved to take care of her health by indulging in yoga, being a healthcare advocate, and being a big foodie.

Krystal Anderson was so much more…

There was more to her than being a cheerleader. She worked at Oracle Health as a software engineer. In fact, she was also awarded a patent for creating software that could assess the risk of post-partum hemorrhage. As per her GoFundMe page, “Both she and Clayton dedicated nearly two decades of service to Oracle (formerly Cerner), believing fervently that healthcare is too important to stay the same.” Anderson believed in working towards better women’s healthcare rights.

And why wouldn’t she? Maternal deaths in the US have almost doubled in the last two decades and black mothers are at the highest risk. A report by the ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’ (2020) discovered that the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women in the country was roughly 2.9 times higher than for non-Hispanic White women. That is 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births for black women. This issue prevails regardless of socioeconomic background. Remember how three-time Olympic medalist Tori Bowie died in May 2023 because of complications during childbirth? Bowie was just 32.

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As reported by ‘CBS News’ in February this year, Dr. Dawn Owens Robinson, who has worked as an OB-GYN for over 23 years, said “Studies have shown that well-off, educated Black women die at a higher rate than uneducated, obese, chronic-hypertension and diabetic White patients. It is a true health care crisis.”

In fact, ‘Black Maternal Health Week’ (April 11 – 17) exists so that more awareness can be created around such issues. The campaign was founded by the ‘Black Mamas Matter Alliance’ to start essential conversations about black mothers and their health.

But coming back to Anderson, she also loved dancing; even as a child. During her school years, she was an active member of the African Dance group. She later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Richmond. It is here that her tryst with cheerleading began!

We at Essentially Sports, hope and pray for the strength required in this troubling time for Krystal Anderson’s family and loved ones. May she rest in peace.

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