Parents of Boy, 2, Who Died After 'Fatal Medical Episode' at Preschool Say They're 'Devastated Beyond Words'

• Jude Gerrard, 2, died after suffering a "fatal medical episode" at a preschool in England on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Merseyside police have confirmed
• The toddler's heartbroken parents have issued a tribute to police, saying they're "devastated beyond words" following the tragedy, which occurred at the Early Learners Day Nursery in the Liverpool suburb of Bootle
• "Our lives will never be the same again, he really was too good to be true," the parents added

The parents of a 2 year old boy who died at a preschool in England have paid tribute to their son in a heartbreaking statement.

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the toddler "suffered a fatal medical episode" at the Early Learners Day Nursery in the Liverpool suburb of Bootle, police confirmed in a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Police have since identified the 2-year-old as Jude Gerrard, whom they said had been taken to hospital after the tragic incident, which occurred at around 12:35 p.m. local time, per a Tuesday, Jan. 21 release.

"He was sadly pronounced deceased shortly afterwards and his family continue to be supported by specially trained officers," officers said in the release, adding that Jude's death was "currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident."

"A postmortem has been conducted, but the cause of death withheld pending further reports," police added, per the post.

Jude's parents released two pictures of the late toddler, writing in a tribute shared by police, “This is our sweet baby boy, Jude Gerrard. We are absolutely heartbroken 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," they added. "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."

The parents continued, “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 [mommy] 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," they concluded.

The BBC previously reported that the preschool was closed following the tragedy. Nobody answered when PEOPLE attempted to call and the establishment didn't immediately respond to a follow-up email sent on Tuesday, Jan. 21. The preschool's Facebook page also appears to have been taken down.

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Following the toddler's death on Tuesday, Jan. 14, the preschool reportedly sent a message to parents on social media, which 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," The Guardian reported, citing local newspaper the Liverpool Echo.

"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," the preschool's message added.

"We trust that you understand our decision at this difficult time and we will update you all with further information in the coming days," the message concluded. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family."

A May 2024 report by the U.K.'s Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills shows the preschool had received an "overall effectiveness" rating of "Good."

The report added that the establishment had been a registered preschool since 1994 and, at the time, employed 18 members of staff.