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Horrific Swimming Pool Drowning of Two-Year-Old Daughter Leads $30 Million NFL Player Shaquil Barrett to Announce a Noble Cause

Published 08/01/2023, 10:27 AM EDT

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Tragedy has a distinct way of hauling one’s life in an unprecedented manner. Losing a family member is never easy. But when a precious young soul leaves the world, the grief is unparalleled. A similar tragedy befell the Buccaneers’ linebacker Shaquil Barrett when his 2-year-old daughter drowned in the swimming pool recently. The unbelievable loss has the entire family in shambles. However, something positive has come out of the unspeakable incident as a silver lining in a very dark cloud of grief.

The Barrett clan is absolutely devastated after their baby girl’s untimely demise. Although, the 2-time Super Bowl winner is fighting staunch grief to do something better for the world. The NFL player, who has been with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2019, has amassed considerable wealth during his career. Currently, his net worth is estimated to be $30 million. After suffering through the horrible death of his daughter in the swimming pool, Shaquil Barrett has decided to utilize his wealth for a noble cause.

Swimming pool catastrophe paves the way to benevolence

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The NFL linebacker has decided to honor her daughter in a special manner by starting a foundation in her name. The foundation’s goal will be to educate parents about the country regarding water safety. According to TMZ Sports, the announcement was made by the Buccaneers player at a press conference on Monday. He is going to name the foundation Arrayah Hope Inc. after his late daughter.

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Revealing his plans regarding the organization, the 30-year-old said, “We’re gonna just help out as much as possible, like swim lessons for other families, install AI cameras for other families.” The 2-year-old angel drowned after she accidentally entered the swimming pool on April 30. She was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately, she could not be saved.

Barrett also revealed that the shocking incident took place even after he and his wife had tried to take the necessary precautions near the pool. He said, “We had gates up, but we just left it open that night, but we got more gates up. We got all precautions in the way to prevent it from happening and that’s why Arrayah Hope Inc. is gonna be beneficial for a lot of families.” While he might be working towards making the lives of others better, Barrett is in the deepest depths of grief currently.

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The bottomless devastation of a father

Shaquil Barrett is currently at training camp with the rest of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While practicing with his teammates is keeping his mind off the horrific news a bit, nothing can dim the memories of his daughter. To commemorate his special girl, he has a tattoo of her face on his arm. Speaking about the tattoo, he said, “She loved stars and that’s why I got a tribute on my arm to her, a tattoo, that has a couple stars on it.”

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Barrett has other children, and one child on the way. While he has the support of his family, nothing can diminish the pain. As he said, “It’s just her smile I miss so much, her energy, putting her to bed every night and reading her stories. She brought so much brightness, wholeness and completeness to our lives…” Hopefully, the good deeds that Barrett has dedicated his time to will ensure that other parents don’t have to suffer through a tragedy like this.

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Written by:

Apoorva Behl

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Apoorva Behl is a sports writer for EssentiallySports. With a range that would make Bruce Lee proud, Apoorva’s writing embodies the philosophy of "Be Like Water," flowing seamlessly between a diverse range of sports and sensitive angles. Her articles are known to resonate with her audience, earning her a common spot on the Editor’s Pick list.
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Edited by:

Anupama Ghosh