Holiday woman is killed by bug

A BRITISH tourist died on her birthday during a Caribbean holiday after contracting a blood infection similar to meningitis.

Lynne Crouch, 54, woke up on Christmas Eve feeling nauseous and dizzy in her hotel room in the Dominican Republic.

Husband Peter, 63, from Loughton, Essex, said: “It all happened so fast – one minute we were standing at the bar and the next morning L ynne couldn’t get out of bed.

“I was feeling 100% but she became so ill so quickly – why did this happen to her and not me?

Bed

“She managed to get up at lunchtime but she collapsed at the bottom of the stairs and when I put her back into bed, she had no recollection of it.”

Lynne was diagnosed with meningococcemia – a rare bacterial blood infection of the same type that causes meningitis, and died on her birthday less than a week later.

Peter added: “It’s just so confusing to think she is not with me any more – I still have her suitcase and all her things with me.

“I think it will hit me when I finally get home and realise she is not there any more.

“Our Lynne was the most beautiful, amazing and caring person. She brought life, light and sunshine into the lives of everybody.”

Peter, who has children from a previous relationship, does not know when he will be able to return home.

His brother Jamie flew out to support him.