Becoming a parent is a transformative experience. One day you’re just a person living your life, maybe with a partner, maybe alone, and the next, everything’s changed. Your life revolves around caring for another human being, a little version of you. The attention they require is absolute, they take something of yours and become their person. No parent should outlive their child, it’s just not right, it’ll break you. Charvarius Ward, cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers, recently had to experience that very heartbreak.

It’s irresponsible and cruel to expect much out of someone when they’re in that state. Even words of consolation fall on deaf ears, how do you deal with death, this most natural and unnatural thing? Grief is natural, healthy even. The first we heard from Ward since his daughter, Amani Joy, passed away was a story he posted on his Instagram. The message is simple, “I’m Broken” and then a few emojis of a shattered heart. It’s not the right time for a soliloquy, but we understand that Ward’s going through a very difficult time right now. He has our condolences, and we hope he finds peace.

The poor girl was only 1-year-old when she passed, and had suffered from heart issues since birth. She’d even had open heart surgery in April of last year to sort out her health problems. Despite all that, Charvarius Ward says she was a very happy child. “She overcame adversity at a young age and was always happy, lighting up every room with her smile,” he said in an Instagram post earlier today. Both Charvarius and his partner, Amani’s mother, Monique Cook, will mourn her.

Ward’s team, the San Francisco 49ers, also released a statement: “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 all those around her with her sweet demeanor and contagious laugh. We will continue to grieve with Charvarius and Monique while sending them our love and support during this unimaginable time.” While you’d expect a statement regardless, it’s a touching gesture.

Will Charvarius Ward be able to recover soon?

Though news of Amani Joy’s passing has only just broken out, she passed on Monday morning. On Sunday evening, Ward had been at the Cowboys game, which the 49ers won 30-24. Ward himself performed well during the game, with 5 tackles and 2 assists-on-tackle. But we imagine he can’t have celebrated much, by then the writing will have been on the wall. Thankfully it was a home game, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, so he could get home to her right away.

It takes time to grieve properly, to be able to get back to life. He’s only 28, the death of a child is something inconceivable at that age, but we hope he can move forward with his life. Ward’s a Mississippi boy, family’s always been important to him, hopefully, he’ll have them to lean on. His mother, Tanya, nicknamed him Mooney when he was a kid, and they’ve always had a tight bond. Ward had had his health scare as a child, growing up in a derelict neighborhood, breaking his hip once.

He was able to grow through the pain with the support of his mother in that painful time. Hopefully, he’ll have her to lean on again, heavens know he’ll need her.