Young and healthy boy Cruz tragically dies in his sleep
A healthy five-year-old boy went to sleep and never woke up, with his sudden death leaving his family heartbroken.
Cruz passed away on May 11 due to sudden unexplained death in childhood, SUDC, a condition similar to SIDS where there is no known cause for the child’s death.
His devastated family said the five-year-old had no prior illness or injury and had gone to sleep normally as he did any other night.
Cruz leaves behind his shattered parents and his older brother and younger sister.
‘Our hearts are completely shattered and our life will never be the same,’ his mother wrote in a tribute to Facebook.
Cruz, five, passed away on May 11 due to sudden unexplained death in childhood, SUDC, a condition similar to SIDS where there is no known cause for the child’s death
‘Being in denial is less painful than the reality.
‘We love you our gorgeous little warrior, fly high and we will be together again soon.’
His aunt has set up a GoFundMe to help support Cruz’s family and cover funeral expenses.
‘Cruz was a beacon of love and light, a warrior who filled our lives with joy and laughter,’ she wrote.
‘For your child to be here one moment and gone the next is a parent’s worst nightmare that no one should ever have to endure.
‘His absence has left an unimaginable void in our family, one that can never be filled.’
Cruz’s father is also in the process of trying to secure a new job after his workplace shut down.
‘I cannot bear to see my family silently struggling through this pain,’ she wrote.
The fundraiser has garnered just under $3,000 at the time of publication.
SUDC refers to the sudden death of a child aged 12 months or over that remains unexplained.