Shortly after Charvarius Ward shared the unfortunate news of his one-year-old daughter’s death, his girlfriend Monique Cook posted a heartbreaking message to her Instagram Story.
The couple welcomed their daughter Armani Joy in November 2022. Armani was born prematurely with Down syndrome, struggled with numerous health issues and underwent open heart surgery in April 2023.
Armani Joy unfortunately passed away for unknown reasons on October 29. Later in the day, Cook posted a tearful message about their daughter’s untimely death.
‘My baby. God Why?’ she wrote with two broken heart emojis.
An hour earlier, the 49ers cornerback wrote a longer message with a photo of Armani, delivering the sad news.
Charvarius Ward’s girlfriend Monique Cook shared a heartbreaking Instagram story
Ward and Cook’s daughter, Armani Joy, sadly passed away just before she turned two
“We are heartbroken that our beautiful girl, Amani Joy, passed away Monday morning,” Ward wrote. “She was the best blessing we could have asked for, and her cheerful spirit made us smile from ear to ear.”
‘She taught us patience, confidence and a positive outlook on life. She showed us true strength and courage. She overcame adversity at a young age and was always cheerful. She lit 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,” Ward added. “She will forever be daddy’s best friend and mommy’s little girl. We will miss you and love you forever, Amani Joy.”
Amani was born prematurely with Down syndrome and had a number of health problems
Ward candidly discussed his daughter’s Down syndrome while praising Amani’s infectious joy
Cook and Ward started dating shortly after the 2020 Super Bowl. Ward was playing for the Kansas City Chiefs at the time and won the title for his current team in San Francisco.
The 28-year-old is in his third season in the Bay Area and seventh in the NFL after starting his career with the Chiefs in 2018.
Ward, who was raised by his mother Tanya while his father was in prison during his childhood, had previously opened up about his joy at becoming a father.
He credited his growing bond with his bundle of joy to his improvement on the field last season when he became a Pro-Bowler for the first time.
The devastating news comes just two days after Ward committed to the 49ers
Ward is in his third season with San Francisco after spending the 2018-2021 season with Kansas City
“It weighed on my conscience,” Ward told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan last season. ‘Why can’t I connect with my daughter? This is my seed. I couldn’t connect with her at all and it hurt my feelings.
‘It was on my mind a lot. I’m trying not to make excuses, but ever since we got closer, I’ve been bummed. Shoutout to God and my daughter for making that relationship work.”
The 49ers are heading into a bye week after beating the Cowboys this weekend, allowing Ward to spend time with his grieving family. San Francisco returns to action on November 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
