A MEMORIAL service is being planned for a paramedic who died from a rare form of meningitis.

Robert Cavenay, aged 28, died on December 27 after a battle with a tropical strain of meningitis.

His grieving family say they were told by doctors that the illness could have been triggered when he was bitten on the face by a parrot while on holiday in the Canary Islands in 2003.

Bolton-born Mr Cavenay moved to Plymouth in 2001 and joined the ambulance service to fulfil a childhood dream.

Despite his medical training, neither he or doctors in Plymouth could identify the bug when he became seriously ill and he was sent to Southmead Hospital in Bristol in mid-December.

His symptoms were immediately diagnosed as meningitis and he was rushed to the intensive care unit.

His concerned family spent Christmas in Bristol and were encouraged when he started to respond well to the treatment.

But, after suffering chest pains, Mr Cavenay, formerly a pupil at Sharples School, Bolton, had a heart attack on the morning of December 27 and died as doctors were trying to stabilise him.

Today, his grief-stricken parents, who live at Cheviot Close, Sharples, spoke of their heartache at seeing their only son die just days after he seemed to be recovering.

Mum Barbara, aged 62, said: "It's been a very tough two or three weeks for us. We're absolutely devastated by what has happened.

"One minute we thought he was getting better and then he had some chest pains which turned out to be an enlarged ventricle.

"It was a very big shock for us when we heard that he'd had a heart attack. It seems that he had a very rare case of meningitis but he had excellent treatment all the way through and we can't thank the doctors and nurses enough."

Doctors believe the heart attack was triggered by the meningitis.

A funeral was held in Plymouth, attended by colleagues from the ambulance service, police and friends.

Dad Keith, aged 65, said the family wanted to hold another service in Bolton to allow his northern friends to pay their last respects but it is not yet known when the memorial will be held.

He said: "We weren't sure whether to bring him back to the North for the funeral but we decided that he would have wanted it down there because he loved it.

"He was very popular round here. Everyone on the estate knew him and he had a lot of friends. We want to give them the chance to say their farewells."

Paramedic is

killed by rare

meningitis