Krystal Anderson, a former NFL cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs, was laid to rest with a funeral service held on Thursday, part of which is to be funded by donations sent to the family as they grieve the heartbreaking loss of their loved one.
Those close to Anderson, also known as "Krissy, Kiki" said her health took a devastating turn on March 20, RadarOnline.com has learned. They said she remained strong and resilient as tough as her circumstances were.
"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," her family shared on a GoFundMe page.
"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," they shared, revealing she was surrounded by her loved ones when she took her last breath. Krissy was 40.
Polls and studies have shown that at least 1.7 million adults in America develop sepsis, and nearly 350,000 adults with it die during their hospitalization or are discharged to hospice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Krissy's husband of two years, Clayton William Anderson, told local outlet Fox4 the pain rocked him to his core. "I feel lost," he shared. "There's a lot of people in this house, and it feels empty." The couple previously suffered a childbirth years ago.
In the wake of her shocking death, a fundraiser made in her honor has sky-rocketed past its original $25k goal and has garnered more than $75,500 in donations. "Krissy is reunited with their babies James Charles and Charlotte Willow," her GoFundMe stated.
A visitation was held on Wednesday from 6 to 8 PM at the Penwell-Gabel funeral home ahead of today's service at 10:30 AM at the local Christ Community Church.
During her cheerleading days, she rooted for the team for over 100 games from 2006 to 2011, and again from 2013 to 2016.
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The team shared, "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."