Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward said he hasn’t been happy since the tragic death of his 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, last October.
In a series of Instagram Story posts, Ward shared photos of his daughter to commemorate what would have been her third birthday on Monday.
“Happy heavenly birthday AMANI. Haven’t been happy since you left us. God was wrong for this,” Ward, 29, wrote.
In another slide, Ward wrote in text: “F–k Football. F–k this money. F–k any type of fame. Don’t care for none of it. Lost without my baby. Amani JOY Ward XOXOXO.”
Ward, 29, previously shared that his daughter, whom he welcomed with his fiancée Monique Cook, had Down Syndrome.
He added a few broken heart emojis on a photo of Amani sitting on his shoulders.
Another image showed cupcakes and balloons with a No. 3 candle.
Ward and Cook got engaged in July.
The couple announced last September that were expecting a baby son in February 2025.
Ward shared that his daughter died in a post on Instagram last October, when he was playing for the 49ers. That post has since been deleted.
“We are heartbroken that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy passed away on Monday morning,” Ward wrote at the time. “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.
“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.”
In January, the Pro Bowl cornerback said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his daughter’s death.
“I get PTSD a lot,” Ward told reporters in front of his locker, adding that he has “a lot of trauma” in California. “I be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night all the time, sweating and stuff like that.
“It’s tough, it’s tough. But, you know, we’ll see how it goes. It’s gonna be interesting for sure.”
Ward is eligible to return from injured reserve this week against the Chiefs after suffering a concussion in a freak pregame collision with Colts tight end Drew Ogletree before the team’s win over Arizona on Oct. 12.
He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs when Kansas City beat the 49ers, 31-20, at Hard Rock Stadium in February 2020.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
