In November 2025, on the birthday of his daughter, Amani Joy Ward, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward shared a heartbreaking message, saying he no longer cared about football, money, or fame because he no longer had his daughter to share those things with. The 30-year-old lost Amani in October 2024, a tragedy that took a heavy mental toll on him and one he continues to struggle with.

“Amani baby, I’m still scarred,” Ward captioned his latest Instagram post. “I’m still hurtin. I still have days when I’m too sad to do anything. Some days I wanna go & find you. I wonder if you know how much I loved you, how blessed I was to be your father. I still have your beautiful face painted in my memory. You were my JOY, the reason I smiled. I promise to celebrate you to the day we meet again.”

Through his social media post, Ward paid tribute to Amani, as the Colts’ CB just got a chain to honor and celebrate her. The memorial jewelry features a striking diamond-encrusted piece that showcases several symbolic elements. It has an iced-out butterfly connector, beneath which hangs a circular medallion leading to a custom pendant spelling out “JOY” in a stylized vertical design, a nod to Ward’s daughter’s name: Amani Joy Ward.

Ward and his girlfriend, Monique Cook, lost their daughter, Amani, on October 28, 2024. Amani was born premature and was diagnosed with Down syndrome at the time of her birth. Additionally, the 30-year-old cornerback also revealed that his daughter was born with two holes in her heart during an appearance on former San Francisco 49ers teammate Arik Armstead’s podcast.

Amani’s heart condition required her to undergo open-heart surgery back in 2023. During this tough period, Ward also took to his social media handle and requested his fans to pray for his daughter’s health. Soon, he revealed that the surgery had gone successfully. However, Amani’s struggles with her medical condition persisted, as Ward announced her tragic passing in October 2024.

“We are heartbroken that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy, passed away on Monday morning,” he wrote on Instagram. “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.”

Amani passed away just a month before her second birthday. On his daughter’s second birthday, Ward took to his Instagram handle and shared a pair of stories to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, while also adding a heartbreaking post.

“Happy heavenly birthday AMANI. “Haven’t been happy since you left us. God was wrong for this,” he wrote, while also adding, “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,” in another IG story.

Ward was with the San Francisco 49ers at the time of her passing. Last year, in March 2025, the 49ers’ Pro Bowl cornerback signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts. However, his first year with the Colts didn’t start on a high note as he suffered concussions, which landed him on injured reserve multiple times.

Amani’s death affected the corner physically, mentally, and emotionally, as he also took a break from playing games while mourning. During an interview with ESPN last year, the CB noted:

“It took everything physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. It took all of that every day for me to just come here and be able to practice. I wasn’t going to meetings half the time. My social battery was so low. It was just hard being around people. I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me and everything like that. I just tried to show up and be there for my teammates.”

Charvarius Ward and Monique Cook share a son, Charvarius Jr., who was born just a month after Amani’s tragic death. That said, the Colts’ CB is now heading to the second season with the team. And while he has recorded a successful NFL career so far, it won’t be wrong to say that Ward is still a grieving father.