The devastated parents of a two-year-old boy,who died after a “preventable” medical episode at nursery, have said the boy deserved so much more.
Little Jude Gerrard – who his parents nicknamed Judie – was taken to hospital on Tuesday last week following an incident at Early Learners Day Nursery, in Bootle, Merseyside, but he later died. His death is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident.
Today, his parents have spoken about how their “sweet baby boy” “deserved so, so much more”. Issuing a photograph of the smiling tot, they said: “This is our sweet baby boy, Jude Gerrard. We are absolutely heart broken and devastated beyond words by this shocking and unexpected loss of the love of our lives. I know all parents think this about their own children, but Jude truly was so incredibly special.
“Everybody who ever met him couldn’t help but instantly love him, and he had so much love for everyone too, even if he’d pretend to web you like Spider-Man or wrestle you like Hulk Hogan. Our lives will never be the same again, he really was too good to be true and we can’t believe he has been taken away from us like this, with something so preventable. He deserved so, so much more.
“We count ourselves so lucky we got to be his mummy and daddy for two and a half years, even though he should have had so much more time. Please respect our privacy as we process and grieve this unimaginable loss and the police continue to investigate what happened to our amazing, beautiful, caring boy, Judie.”
Last week in a statement, Merseyside Police said: “We can confirm that an investigation is underway following reports that a two-year-old boy suffered a fatal medical episode at a children’s nursery in Bootle. The incident was reported at around 12.35pm yesterday, Tuesday January 14, at Early Learners Day Nursery, on Hawthorne Road, and the child was taken to hospital by paramedics. He was sadly pronounced deceased at hospital and his family is being supported. An investigation has been commenced to establish the full circumstances and cause of death.”
A message, shared with the Liverpool Echo, was sent to parents from the nursery. It read: “Dear parents and carers, as you are aware, this afternoon a medical emergency occurred at the nursery. It is with devastating sadness that we have to inform you of a child’s passing. To enable everyone to process today’s tragic events, we have made the decision to close the nursery for the remainder of the week, and also to allow us to continue working with relevant agencies. We trust that you understand our decision at this difficult time and we will update you alll with further information in the coming days. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”
In May 2024, staff at the nursery were described as providing “a warm, welcoming and safe environment” for children in an Ofsted report. Inspectors also said “parents speak highly of the nursery”, adding that parents “value the nurturing relationships staff form with their children”.
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