SANTA CLARA – The daughter of 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward passed away on Monday morning, he announced today on Instagram.

Amani Joi Ward has struggled with heart problems since birth and underwent open-heart surgery on April 11, 2023, about six months after she was born prematurely with Down syndrome.

Ward’s Instagram post showed a photo of him with his firstborn daughter and the following caption:

“We are heartbroken that our beautiful girl, Amani Joy, passed away on Monday morning. 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 happy, lighting up any 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 will miss you and love you forever, Amani Joy.

A cause of death was not immediately known.

The 49ers (4-4) are in their bye week, giving Ward time to grieve with his family. Ward, 28, played all but four snaps of defense in Sunday night’s 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The 49ers released a statement Tuesday: “The 49ers family is devastated by the sudden passing of Charvarius Ward’s beloved one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy. Amani truly embodied pure happiness and brought joy to everyone around her with her sweet attitude and infectious laugh. We will continue to grieve with Charvarius and Monique as we send them our love and support during this unimaginable time.”

Ward opened up about his daughter’s condition last season, and last December he opened up about her heart defect while appearing on then-teammate Arik Armstead’s podcast.

“She was born with two holes in her heart,” Ward told Armstead. “The doctor said, ‘If the holes close up, she’ll be fine.’ One closed and the other continued to expand and grow, reaching the size of a fist. … They were like, we need to do the operation as quickly as possible. That was scary because it is a very serious operation. And it’s your child, you just feel for her, it’s out of your hands, you can’t do anything about it.

Ward credited a growing bond with his daughter for his success last season as a first-time Pro Bowler.

“It was on my conscience,” Ward told Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area 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.”

Since arriving as a free agent in 2022, Ward has started every game except the 49ers’ Oct. 10 win at Seattle, when a knee injury left him with a pregame scratch. He played his first four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, reaching a conference championship game in each of his six seasons starting in 2024.

Ward is still looking for his first interception this season, although coach Kyle Shanahan said he has played his best games of the season over the past two games after missing the 49ers’ Oct. 10 win at Seattle due to a knee issue .

If Ward understandably retires from a death, the 49ers’ cornerback corps is relatively healthy and well-stocked, including Deommdore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin and Darrell Luter.

Last season he made a career-high five interceptions and a league-high 23 pass breakups, and his family’s influence reflected his success on the field.