KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Five days after Jessica Tangen, a lifelong Kansas City Chiefs fan, died Sunday while attending the team's training camp at Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mosaic Life Care released a statement from the family, including her 9-year-old daughter.
Kyla Tangen said her mother was a "brave and caring woman."
"She worked hard, but my favorite thing was how hard she worked, but she would always come home with a smile on her face," Kyla said in a video interview provided by Mosaic Life Center, which treated Jessica.
Kyla said her mother's favorite player was Travis Kelce and that she never missed an episode of the tight end's podcast, "New Heights."
Jessica Tangen enjoyed watching Chiefs game with her friend, "Nicole," and her passion could be heard anytime the team scored, Kyla said.
"She would always be screaming when the Kansas City Chiefs scored a touchdown or scored a point," Kyla said. "When they won the Super Bowl, you bet she came running over."
After camp on Thursday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid offered his condolences to the Tangen family.
Kyla said it's the support her family has received that has helped her deal with the loss of her mother.
"I'm doing a lot better," she said. "I think it's the amount of people wanting to support the family and keeping us in their prayers, it really lifts you up."
According to Mosaic, Jessica Tangen died from "a cardiac-related issue" and no autopsy would be performed at the request of family.
—
