Shaquil Barrett has broken his silence after his 2-year-old daughter, Arrayah Barrett, drowned in the family’s pool earlier this month. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers player took to Instagram last Wednesday (May 10) with a throwback video clip of his baby girl blowing kisses at the camera to celebrate her life.
“I miss you so much, baby girl,” Shaquil wrote in the caption section of his Instagram post. “I love you,” the star athlete continued. “Please watch over us.”
Arrayah Barrett passed away on April 30, 2023, after falling into the pool at her home. Arrayah was reportedly taken to the hospital at around 9:30 AM. Unfortunately, life-saving measures carried out by medical professionals were not enough to revive the toddler.
Shaquil and his family received overwhelming support from his teammates and the Tampa community at large after the sudden death of his daughter.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers posted on their Twitter page. “While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this, we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 30, 2023
Shaquil took to Instagram on Thursday (May 11) to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support. “I just want to send a heartfelt thank you for the prayers, thoughts, meals, flowers, gifts and support,” Barrett shared. “For the community outpour (sic) for us, for people praying all over the world,” he added.
“The amount has been astounding and there is just no way to possibly get a thank you to each and every one of you,” the NFL player went on to tell his supporters. “But not a single card, note, prayer, or thought has gone unnoticed. We feel the love from everywhere and that wouldn’t be possible without you all.”
Shaquil went on to reveal, “This has been the hardest couple of weeks of our lives. And we couldn’t have done it or start to even begin getting through this without you. Our Arrayah sunshine was and is our world, and knowing she has touched so many lives is so heart-warming.”
Photo: Shaquil Barrett/Instagram
