49ers Cornerback Charvarius Ward Shares That His Baby Daughter Has Passed Away
"She was the best blessing we could have asked for."
Published Oct. 29 2024, 3:59 p.m. ET
On Oct. 28, fans of 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward were devastated when he announced that his baby daughter, Amani Joy, had passed away at nearly 2 years old. The first-time father shared a heartbreaking post on Instagram, showcasing his love for his daughter and discussing the challenges that she had faced in her short life.
"She was the best blessing we could have asked for, and her joyous spirit made us smile from ear to ear. She taught us to have patience, trust, and a positive outlook on life. She showed us true strength and bravery," he said. "She overcame adversity at a young age and was always happy, lighting up every room with her smile."
What happened to Amani Joy?
What was Charvarius Ward's daughter's cause of death?
Tragically, just a few weeks before her second birthday, Amani Joy passed away on the morning of Oct. 27, as shared by her father. Though no cause of death has been made public, Amani was sadly plagued by health issues for the entirety of her short life.
According to an earlier post from Charvarius's Instagram page, Amani was born premature and with Down Syndrome: "We couldn’t control whether she had Trisomy 21, but we can control our attitude about it. At first we went through feelings of sadness and anger, but those feelings transformed into pure joy as soon as we laid eyes on her."
Just six months after her birth, Amani also had to undergo open heart surgery.
"She was born with two holes in her heart,” Charvarius shared on Arik Armstead's podcast. "The doctor was like, ‘If the holes close up, she’s good.’ One of them closed and the other kept expanding and getting bigger, to the size of a fist. … They were like, 'We have to do the surgery ASAP.'"
Our thoughts are with Charvarius, as well as Amani's mother, Monique, at this time.