NFL reporter Doug Kyed and his wife, Jen, have shared the heartbreaking news that their two-year-old daughter, Hallie, passed away peacefully in her sleep in January 2024. Hallie was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2023, and despite her courage and strength during a nine-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia, her condition deteriorated after a bone marrow transplant, and her final round of chemotherapy was ineffective.
In a heartfelt post on social media, the New England Patriots reporter for the Boston Herald expressed how the family had cherished their time together at the hospital, holding onto hope for remission. “We held out hope for remission because of how brave, strong, and resilient Hallie had been through her entire battle,” Kyed wrote on Instagram.
After Hallie’s relapse, Doug Kyed shared that the family was trying to remain optimistic despite the challenges their little one faced.
At the time, he wrote, “I’m choosing to stay positive,” and added, “Hallie has overcome every obstacle that AML has thrown at her so far. This will undoubtedly be her toughest test, but if anyone can conquer it, it’s our fierce little Hallie Bear.”
Doug admitted that they “knew the prognosis was poor when she relapsed after her bone marrow transplant.” He added, “The whole family spent special time at the hospital last week, but we held out hope for remission because of how brave, strong, and resilient Hallie had been throughout her entire nine-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia and all its complications.”
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer that starts in the bone marrow, where blood cells are formed. In AML, abnormal myeloid cells, a type of white blood cell, multiply rapidly, crowding out healthy blood cells. As the disease progresses, these abnormal cells can quickly enter the bloodstream, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, easy bruising or bleeding, and increased susceptibility to infections. In some cases, AML can spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and central nervous system, though this is less common compared to its primary impact on the bone marrow and blood.
Since Hallie’s diagnosis, Doug and his wife had spent most nights at Boston Children’s Hospital. “My wife and I have taken turns caring for Hallie and our 5-year-old, Olivia, at home,” he explained.
“There is a giant hole in my heart, and the pain is excruciating,” Jen Kyed shared. “I will never understand why or how something so horrible can happen.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family.
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