NFL star Charvarius Ward has announced the tragic death of his one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy.
Ward, 28, played his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs and is now in his third year with San Francisco.
He and his partner, Monique Cook, welcomed their little girl in November 2022 and are expecting a son early next year.
Tributes are pouring in following Ward’s devastating announcement of his daughter’s shock passing.
One person writes: “We are praying for you and your family.”
“Beautiful thoughts on all that Amani Joy brought to your lives,” another writes. “Deepest sympathy to you and your family.”
A third person pens: “Heartbroken for you. Sending love and sympathy.”
“Our hearts are with you and your family,” somebody else says.
Amani Joy was born with Down syndrome, a genetic condition where a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21.
Cleveland Clinic says the condition ‘changes the way their brain and body develop’ and that symptoms and severity vary from person to person.
Ward’s daughter was reportedly born with two holes in her heart. While one of these holes closed, she underwent surgery in April 2023 to close the other, reports Us Weekly.
In a joint interview with the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this year, the NFL star and his partner opened up about how Amani Joy changed their lives.
Cook revealed a ‘huge change’ in Ward’s mood when his baby smiled at him for the first time.
She said: “His confidence changed. He was a lot happier. He comes in every day and she lights up. She’s smiling. She hears his voice and she will literally look around, like, ‘Where is this man?’”
Ward added: “I’m nicer to all the women around me. I try to treat people a little bit better.
“Because, obviously, she has Down syndrome. And she’s probably going to have a little mistreatment going through life with a disability. People might try to bully her a little bit. So I just want to treat people well and, hopefully, people will treat her good.”
Ward took to social media and announced the tragic death of his daughter, penning: “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.”
He continued: “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’s cause of death has not been made public.
Our thoughts are with Charvarius Ward and Monique Cook during this difficult time.
