Doug Kyed, an NFL reporter for the Boston Herald, is mourning the tragic passing of his two-year-old daughter.
The sports journalist – whose beat is the New England Patriots – shared in a heartbreaking post on Instagram on Monday that his daughter Halle had lost a nine-month battle with leukemia.
Doug shared Hallie with his wife Jen, with whom he also shares daughter Olivia. Sharing a slew of photos from Hallie's painful cancer journey, he first wrote: "Hallie died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday morning as Jen and I held her hands in bed.
"We're completely lost and heartbroken without Hallie. Our lives will never be the same. Hallie was a special kid, and she made a positive impact on so many people she met. We were lucky to be her parents, and Olivia was fortunate to have the best baby sister."
He continued: "We knew the prognosis was poor when she relapsed after her bone marrow transplant, so 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 through her entire nine-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia and all of its complications."
However he then added: "Unfortunately, chemotherapy after transplant was ineffective, and her aggressive form of leukemia had grown out of control by the time she started a trial treatment," noting: "Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital did everything they could to help Hallie, and she beat AML every day for over nine months straight. Nothing could have ever prepared us for this moment when she was first diagnosed in April or after her successful transplant in October."
Continuing his difficult tribute, he went on: "Hal, my koala baby, my little Hallie Bear, my Sour Patch Kid. She'd yell 'DADDDDYYY' at me to take her on a walk around the hospital floor and then give me sweet little pats on the back when I took her out of her crib," adding: "She was so beautiful, naturally funny (and knew it) and was going to be a star in dance class. Doctors, nurses and hospital staff loved seeing which princess dress she’d be wearing that day (or particular hour).
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"She loved painting, LOL dolls, her pink Hallie blanket, boots, using sign language for 'more,' having an assortment of chips, her cat Rambe, puppies and her family."
Doug then declared: "The world is a worse place without Hallie in it," before reminding his followers: "If you can take anything from Hallie today, it's to know exactly what you want and to be persistent in asking for it, whether it's going on a walk, ride in the car or wearing one particular Disney dress (usually Cruella)."
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He concluded with: "I'll miss rubbing her hair and kissing her head and telling her I love her the most."
According to the National Cancer Institute, childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is "a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells," and can affect red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
The Cleveland Clinic reports AML impacts around 4 in 100,000 adults annually, and approximately 1,160 children are diagnosed with it each year.
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