Colts Superstar Opens Up About The Tragic Death Of His 1-Year-Old Daughter
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Over a year ago, then-49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward dealt with the worst moment of his life when his daughter passed away.
Ward’s one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, passed away in October 2024. Amani died just before her second birthday. The young girl battled heart issues since she was born and was forced to have open-heart surgery on April 11, 2023, about six months after she was born prematurely with Down syndrome.
Around that time, Ward stated that he wasn’t sure that he wanted to stay in California, saying that his family had been through a lot of “trauma” over the past year.
“I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” he shared to reporters in front of his locker in 2024.
“I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s probably going to ever happen to me — knock on wood — happened in California. It can just bring up bad memories. Every time I get on a plane and come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it just brings up bad memories.”
“I go through that every day,” he continued. “I go home every night by myself because my girl, she doesn’t want to come back to California because of what happened. So, it is hard being alone, and she’s my strength right now. I need her, and so her not being able to be around me if I’m in California, it’d be tough.”
That would lead to Charvarius Ward signing a deal with the Colts during the offseason.
Charvarius Ward Commemorates His Daughter’s Birthday
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward is set for a tough week after he took to social media to mark the birthday of his late daughter.
Commemorating her November 17 birthday, Ward shared several pictures of her while writing, ‘Happy heavenly birthday AMANI. Haven’t been happy since you left us. God was wrong for this.’
Ward further added: “F–k football. F– this money. F— any type of fame. Don’t care for none of it. Lost without my baby.”
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward is going through it. Prayers to him. pic.twitter.com/rBLsePxQLq
— BLACK ADAM SCHEFTER (@B1ackSchefter) November 17, 2025
In the meantime, Ward (concussion) is eligible to come off injured reserve after suffering the injury Oct. 12 in pregame warmups.
He has 13 tackles and three passes defended, but also missed Week 2 with a concussion.
The AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts are set to face the desperate Kansas City Chiefs in NFL Week 12 action.
