San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward shared the heartbreaking news on Tuesday about the passing of his 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joy. He posted on Instagram that she died on Monday morning after struggling with heart issues since birth. Amani Joy was set to turn 2 in November.
In his tribute, Ward expressed his grief, stating, “We are heartbroken that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy passed away on Monday morning. 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. She overcame adversity at a young age and was always happy, lighting up every room with her smile. Having the privilege of being her parents and seeing the world through her eyes has changed us for the better. She will forever be daddy’s best friend and mommy’s little girl. We’ll miss you and love you forever, Amani Joy.”
Amani Joy was born prematurely in November 2022 and diagnosed with Down Syndrome. In December, during an appearance on a podcast hosted by his former teammate Arik Armstead, Ward revealed that she was born with two holes in her heart and underwent surgery in April. He recalled the anxiety surrounding the procedure, saying, “The doctor was like, ‘If the holes close up, she’s good.’ One of them closed, but the other kept expanding and getting bigger, to the size of a fist. They told us we had to do the surgery ASAP. That was scary because it’s a real serious surgery. And it’s your kid; you just feel for her, it’s out of your hands, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
