Superstar footballer Charvarius Ward took to Instagram yesterday, October 29 (2024), to share a tear-jerking post disclosing the death of his baby daughter.
The 49ers cornerback, who founded his organization Charvarius for Change in 2021, posted a beautiful photo of his late 1-year-old, who smiled as she sat in front of another loved one.
Alongside this image, Charvarius penned a heartfelt message that began by highlighting his devastation over the fact that Amani Joy Ward passed away on Monday morning (October 28, 2024).
He then expressed, “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.”
The bereaved father, who began his collegiate career at Hinds CC (MS), emphasized how brave and strong his little girl was.
He noted how she overcame adversity at such a young age and lit up every room with her happiness and adorable smile.
Charvarius also spoke about the privilege he and the little girl’s mom, Monique, felt in being her parents and getting to see the world from Amani’s perspective, citing how it changed them 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,” concluded Charvarius in his caption.
In addition to his Instagram dedication, Charvarius shared two posts on his Instagram Story — one displayed a black background with overlaid text that read, “I’m Broken 💔💔💔💔.”
His second post showed an adorable photo of Amani dressed in a onesie with a message written in yellow that stated, “My Baby. My Life. My Queen. My Heart. My Everything 💔💔💔💔💔.”
Like Charvarius, Amani’s bereaved mother, Monique, shared an Instagram Story on her account, in which she penned, “My baby. God why? 💔💔.”
The official Instagram account of the 49ers also took to social media to pen a heartfelt tribute to little Amani and her loved ones.
After they expressed their sorrow, the football team wrote, “Amani truly embodied pure happiness and brought joy to all those around her with her sweet demeanor and contagious laugh.”
They ended by stipulating that they stand united in grief with the 2023 NFC Pro Bowl player and Monique, to whom they send their love and support.
Months before her demise, Amani’s dad shared an Instagram carousel of heartwarming pictures and videos of the late baby to commemorate World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 (2024).
Images ranged from showing Amani smiling and looking curiously at the camera, to touching moments that Charvarius and Monique shared with her.
In the lengthy caption, the charitable father mentioned how much of a blessing Amani was to him and Monique, and confessed to previously thinking Down Syndrome was a handicap, before seeing it as “a gift from God.”
“Being Amani’s dad has taught me patience & how to surrender & let things be. We couldn’t control whether she had Trisomy 21 but we can control our attitude about it,” divulged the NFL star.
Charvarius went on to admit that at first, he and Monique experienced sadness and anger; however, those feelings dissipated once they laid eyes on their precious baby girl, who was born on November 17, 2022.
Toward the end of the message, Charvarius also disclosed that Amani had undergone heart surgery, and emphasized his and Monique’s deep love for her.
Before her passing, Amani’s parents had set up an Instagram account for her, which has seven posts capturing momentous moments of the sweet girl’s life like when she was born, and a video of her playing with her dad.
At this time, we extend our deepest condolences to Amani’s grieving parents and loved ones, as they mourn their loss.