San Francisco 49ers star cornerback Charvarius Ward announced the death of his one-year-old daughter Amani Joy on Tuesday. The seventh-year NFL veteran said that he was “heartbroken” in a post to his Instagram account revealing the somber news. “We are heartbroken that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy passed away on Monday morning,” Ward wrote.
“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,” he continued. “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.” Ward did not note his daughter’s cause of death, though he previously revealed that she was born with a heart defect. “She was born with two holes in her heart,” Ward told former teammate Arik Armstead on a podcast last year, per the Mercury News .
“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,” he said.
“That was scary because it’s a real serious surgery. And it’s your kid, you just .