In honor of World Down Syndrome Day earlier this year, Ward wrote a message on Instagram devoted to his daughter.
“I couldn’t have hoped for a greater gift than Amani Joy Ward. I now see that Down syndrome is really a gift from God, when before I thought it was a disability,” he wrote.
“I’ve learned patience and how to let things go by being Amani’s father. Although we had no control over whether she had Trisomy 21,
We did have influence over how we felt about it. Additionally, the 49ers issued a statement expressing their support for Ward and his family.
The 49ers tweeted, “Charvarius Ward’s beloved one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, passed away suddenly, leaving the 49ers family devastated.”
“With her charming personality and infectious laugh, Amani genuinely embodied happiness and made everyone around her happy.”
