Hallie Kyed was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in April 2023, nine months ago, at the age of two. Sadly, Hallie lost her life on January 21 at the age of 2, as her father, Doug Kyed, an NFL reporter for the Boston Herald, revealed on Instagram.
Kyed claims that after his daughter experienced a relapse after receiving a bone marrow transplant, things took a turn for the worst. Her chemo had run its course.
Doug writes, “On Sunday morning, Hallie passed away peacefully in her sleep while Jen and I held her hands in bed.” “Without Hallie, we’re sad and totally lost. Never again will our lives be the same.
Doug went on to say that his young daughter “was a special kid.” Furthermore, “she made a positive impact on so many people she met,” even at the age of two.
Olivia was blessed to have the greatest baby sister, and we were fortunate to be her parents.
The 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,” the reporter said, adding that they “knew the prognosis was poor when she relapsed after her bone marrow transplant.”
However, despite Hallie’s bravery and fortitude in the face of such adversity, “her aggressive form of leukemia had grown out of control by the time she started a trial treatment, and chemotherapy after transplant was ineffective.”
Doug gave Boston Children’s Hospital’s physicians high marks for their efforts because “they did everything they could to help Hallie, and she beat AML every day for over nine months straight.” After her successful transplant in October, or even when she was first diagnosed in April, nothing could have possibly prepared us for this moment.
Hallie would shout “DADDDDYYY” at him, requesting that he “take her on a walk around the hospital floor.” The bereaved father revealed that Hallie would also give him “sweet little pats on the back when I took her out of her crib.”
Hal, my koala baby, my tiny Hallie Bear, my Sour Patch Kid… was incredibly gorgeous, hilarious by nature (and knew it), and destined to be a dancing class star. The medical personnel, doctors, and nurses enjoyed guessing which princess attire she would be sporting that day (or at that certain hour).
Doug also hopes that those who are grieving for his daughter will learn one thing from her: “to know exactly what you want and to be persistent in asking for it, whether it’s going on a walk, riding in the car, or wearing one particular Disney dress (usually Cruella).” Despite the fact that “the world is a worse place without Hallie in it,” he hopes.
I will miss giving her a head kiss, petting her hair, and telling her how much I adore her. Hallie indefinitely.
On January 26, Hallie will be laid to rest. The Kyed family is in our thoughts and prayers during this especially trying time.
Can You Solve This Tricky Viral Math Problem
We all love a good brain teaser, especially when it involves math—whether we admit it or not. A tricky math problem recently went viral, leaving the internet divided and proving once again that even simple-looking equations can be deceptive.
My Math Struggles & A Challenge
Here’s a quick personal anecdote: I recently started preparing for the GRE and realized that I hadn’t taken a formal math class in nearly nine years. Confidence? Gone. My quantitative reasoning skills? Rusty at best. So, I decided to brush up by taking online high school math courses, starting from the absolute basics.
When I came across this viral math puzzle that was stumping the internet, I thought, “This is my moment! Let’s see if I still have my 9th-grade math chops!” Spoiler: I did not.
The Viral Math Puzzle Taking the Internet by Storm
The problem originally surfaced in Japan, where researchers found that only 60% of people in their 20s managed to solve it correctly. It quickly spread online, turning into yet another viral challenge because, apparently, we love testing our brains with tricky equations (or we just enjoy arguing over the answers).
At first glance, the problem looks simple. But the devil is in the details. My gut told me there was some sort of trick involved—it seemed too easy. However, instead of embarrassing myself by attempting it publicly, I turned to the internet for guidance. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that someone, somewhere, has already tackled your problem and made an instructional video about it. So, I spent my morning watching people do math on YouTube. Exciting stuff.
The Math Problem:
6 ÷ 2(1 + 2) = ?
Go ahead, solve it. I’ll wait.
Video : Viral problem from Japan
Common Wrong Answers
If you got 1 or 9, you’re not alone. Many people arrived at these answers because of a little acronym called PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction).
You may remember PEMDAS from school—or perhaps the mnemonic “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.” The rule dictates that you must solve problems in this specific order:
- Parentheses
- Exponents
- Multiplication & Division (from left to right)
- Addition & Subtraction (from left to right)
So, following PEMDAS, some people calculated it as:
- Solve inside the parentheses: (1 + 2) = 3
- Rewrite the problem: 6 ÷ 2(3)
- Some then treated 2(3) as a single term and multiplied first: 6 ÷ 6 = 1
However, others applied division before multiplication:
- 6 ÷ 2 = 3
- Then, 3 × 3 = 9
Both groups were confident in their logic, but only one approach was correct.
The Correct Answer
The correct answer is 9. Here’s why:
Step 1: Solve the Parentheses First
(1 + 2) = 3
Now the equation is rewritten as:
6 ÷ 2(3)
Step 2: Follow the Order of Operations
According to PEMDAS, division and multiplication are performed from left to right (since they share the same level of priority in the hierarchy).
- 6 ÷ 2 = 3
- 3 × 3 = 9
Wait… Isn’t the Answer 1?
Some people argue that implicit multiplication (like 2(3)) takes precedence over division. However, modern mathematical notation treats multiplication and division equally. Since they appear side by side in the equation, we solve left to right.
If the equation had been written as:
6 ÷ (2 × 3)
Then, you would multiply first and get:
6 ÷ 6 = 1
But because the given equation lacks parentheses around 2(3), the correct answer remains 9.
Why People Get It Wrong
The confusion stems from different ways of interpreting notation and how we were taught order of operations. In some older textbooks, implicit multiplication (like 2(3)) was given higher priority than division, leading to the alternative answer of 1. However, under modern mathematical conventions, division and multiplication hold equal weight and should be solved left to right.
Video : 13 Riddles That Are Trickier Than They Seem
Math Rules Are Not Always Universal
Believe it or not, different countries and academic institutions teach math slightly differently. Some older math textbooks might suggest treating multiplication next to parentheses as having higher priority, while others follow the standard left-to-right rule. This is why debates like this never really die down—people were simply taught different methods!
How to Avoid Future Math Confusion
- Always follow the standard order of operations – PEMDAS (or BODMAS, if you learned it that way).
- If in doubt, add brackets – Parentheses make everything clearer and help prevent confusion.
- Be consistent – If you’re solving problems with others, use the same approach so that everyone gets the same answer.
- Check multiple sources – Sometimes, even textbooks disagree. Looking at different explanations can help clarify tricky concepts.
Final Thoughts
This viral math problem is a perfect example of how simple-looking equations can spark endless debate. The way you approach it depends on how you learned math, but if you apply PEMDAS correctly, the answer is 9—at least according to current conventions.
So, did you get it right, or are you questioning everything you thought you knew about math? Either way, at least we can all agree that math is a lot trickier than it looks!
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