49ers’ Charvarius Ward announces death of 1-year-old daughter

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  • Nick Wagoner, ESPN staff writerOctober 29, 2024, 3:25 PM ET

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      Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) with ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has spearheaded ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit on a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick on Twitter @nwagoner

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The young daughter of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward has died after battling heart problems.

Ward posted on Instagram that his daughter, Amani Joy, died Monday morning. She was supposed to turn 2 in November.

“We are devastated that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy passed away on Monday morning,” Ward wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “She was the best blessing we could have asked for and her joyful 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 to light up every room with her smile and 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 mama’s little girl . We will miss you and love you forever, Amani Joy.”

During a December appearance on former teammate Arik Armstead’s podcast, Ward explained that Amani Joy was born with Down syndrome and two holes in her heart, one of which required surgery.

The Niners, who are on their bye this week, said in a statement Tuesday that the organization is “devastated” by her death.

“Amani truly embodied pure happiness and brought joy to all those around her with her sweet demeanor and infectious laugh,” the team said in its statement. “We will continue to grieve with Charvarius and Monique as we send them our love and support during this unimaginable time.”

Throughout his breakout 2023 season, in which he earned his first Pro Bowl nod and was a second-team All-Pro, Ward repeatedly pointed to his daughter’s 2022 birth as his inspiration.