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

Amani Joi Ward battled heart issues since birth and had open-heart surgery on April 11, 2023, about six months after she was born premature with Down syndrome.

Ward’s Instagram post showed a picture of him with his first-born daughter and the following caption:

“We are heartbroken that our beautiful baby girl, Amani Joy passed away on Monday morning. She was the best blessing we could have asked for, and her joyous spirit made us smile from ear to ear. She taught us to have patience, trust, and a positive outlook on life. She showed us true strength and bravery. She overcame adversity at a young age and was always happy, lighting 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. She will forever be daddy’s best friend and mommy’s little girl. We’ll miss you and love you forever, Amani Joy.”

A cause of death was not immediately known. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Amani and her mother, Monique Cook, attended the 49ers’ win Sunday night over the Dallas Cowboys.

“He put her to bed Sunday night, and Monday morning it was over,” Shanahan said on KNBR 680-AM. “It’s everyone’s biggest fear, but to have it happen to someone (you know) is as crushing and devastating as it gets.”

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

Ward opened up last season about his daughter’s condition, and, last December, he detailed 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 was like, ‘If the holes close up, she’s good.’ One of them closed and the other kept expanding and getting bigger, to the size of a fist. … They were like, we have to do the surgery ASAP. That was scary because it’s a real serious surgery. And it’s your kid, you just feel for her, it’s out of your hands, there’s nothing you can do 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 NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan last season. “Why can’t I connect to my daughter? This is my seed. I couldn’t connect with her at all, and it was hurting my feelings. It was on my mind a lot. I’m not trying to make excuses, but ever since we got closer, I’ve been balling. Shoutout to God and my daughter for making that relationship good.”

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

Ward is still seeking his first interception this season, though coach Kyle Shanahan said he’s played his best games of the season the past two games, after missing the 49ers’ Oct. 10 win in Seattle because of a knee issue.

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

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