Husband of Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader who DIED at age 40 from sepsis caused by stillbirth lays bare his bitter grief over her loss - as he slams medical professionals for failing to do more to protect black mothers

The husband of a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader who passed away from sepsis just days after she gave birth to her stillborn daughter has spoken out to share his grief over her passing - while demanding better maternal care for women of color.

Krystal Anderson, 40, passed away on March 20 after giving birth to her stillborn baby, Charlotte Willow, just two years after their first child, James, also died in a stillbirth. 

The former cheerleader was grieving the loss of her daughter when she spiked a fever just hours later, before ultimately dying of cardiac arrest caused by sepsis, a blood infection.

Now, her husband Clayton is speaking out to honor 'the love of his life', while railing against the healthcare system for failing to do more to protect Black women during and after pregnancy. 

Clayton Anderson has spoken out about the loss of his child and the need for better maternal care for women of color, following his wife, Krystal's, tragic death

has spoken out about the loss of his child and the need for better maternal care for women of color, following his wife's tragic death.

Krystal Anderson, 40, is seen during her cheer days. 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 was my world… my best friend and obviously the love of my life and mother to our children,' he told ABC News. 

He admitted that he is struggling to understand how medical professionals didn't immediately identify Krystal as being more high-risk, given her age, and the fact that she'd suffered a previous pregnancy loss. 

Women with stillbirth are 14 times more likely than women who have had live births to go into septic shock post-pregnancy, according to a Stanford Medicine study published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology medical journal 

'One of the issues that I guess I have with the system overall is Krystal is 40, and she's Black, and we'd had a loss before, but even then they say you know, you can't start a plan with maternal fetal medicine or the high-risk maternity doctors until you get to week 14,' Clayton explained.

He questioned why there aren't more maternal healthcare systems for women of color - who, according to the CDC, are are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause' than white women - and asked why there aren't more specialized care plans, as every pregnancy is different.

'All pregnancy is high risk, especially, more so, when you're a woman of color, or you're older, and they should be treated that way from the start,' he pointed out.

'Expecting somebody who's had a loss to go four weeks in between seeing their care providers… That's the same protocol that's done for a 23-year-old that's very healthy,' Clayton argued. 'It can't be a one-size-fits-all.'

According to Clayton, his wife Krystal - who suffered a miscarriage scare in December - took every possible step to ensure that her second pregnancy was safe, revealing that she underwent a procedure to remove fibroids which are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus, in February 2023.

Anderson (pictured with her husband) spiked a fever and became septic before going into organ failure

When she was 16 weeks pregnant, Krystal underwent a cerclage procedure - a treatment that involves temporarily sewing the cervix closed with stitches - to ensure the cervix could remain viable for the remainder of the pregnancy.

According to Clayton they were told by doctors that it was the best possible preventative action for their baby.

However, Krystal suffered complications in March, with her doctors planning to admit her to a specialized hospital unit at 22 weeks which was equipped to handle a periviable birth - which is the earliest stage a fetus can survive and develop outside of the womb.

Krystal was put on semi bedrest for two weeks after her week 20 appointment in order to reach 22 weeks.

Just a few days after being put on bedrest, Krystal began to feel back pains and rushed to hospital, as they had been told it could be a result of contractions and dehydration.

At the hospital, doctors ran tests and found amniotic fluid, and sadly could not detect a heartbeat in the baby, who they named Charlotte Willow.

Only a few hours later, Krystal's fever spiked and she started showing symptoms of sepsis, with doctors trying first for her to deliver Charlotte naturally with an epidural, which was unsuccessful.

Clayton said doctors telling the couple they had to get Charlotte out, as Krystal was beginning to suffer.

'Now it's about saving you, mama,' the grieving husband and father recalled.

Krystal went into surgery early Sunday morning and was put on a ventilator and dialysis machine with kidney, liver, and lung failure.

She is survived by her husband Clayton Anderson. The couple previously experienced another stillbirth before the recent tragedy

Krystal was known for her advocacy for women in STEM research. A friend described her as 'absolute magic in every sense of the word' 

It looked as though Krystal was starting to get better by Tuesday, after two more surgeries, but her condition deteriorated and she passed away early Wednesday morning, March 20, from sepsis-related complications.

Tributes 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.' 

Her friend Shanna Adamic, a wellness advocate, described her as '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,' she told Fox4.

'She was an absolute force for good. She made every room just light up. It was joyful love,' Clayton added.

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.

'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.'

Clayton says he hopes Krystal's legacy can include more Black women working in STEM, improved outcomes for Black women in pregnancy, and a rise in awareness around stillbirth pregnancies.