A WOMAN who lost her fiance to meningitis just two weeks before their wedding has undertaken a skydive in his memory.

Kerran Parish, 38, of Lostwithiel, said that husband-to-be Shane White had always wanted to skydive for his 40th birthday, adding: 'The jump was the most fitting way to remember him.'

Shane and Kerran had only been in their new home for 10 days when he died in March 2012.

Kerran said: 'We spent as much time together as we could – he made me the happiest I could ever be.

'The biggest honour for me was that Shane chose me to be his wife and our wedding would've been the happiest and proudest day of my life.

'The proposal was totally unexpected, he only spoke to my parents to ask for their permission to marry me a few days before.

'We started to plan our wedding, put our houses on the market and started to househunt.

'Within days of getting engaged, Shane found a house that he thought was perfect.

'We finally moved into it – it was such a happy day, the sun was shining – I will never forget it.'

Shane complained of a severe headache, stomach and shoulder pains, and sore throat for a couple of days. The couple attributed the pains to moving house.

The former Lostwithiel Primary School and Fowey Community College student visited the doctors on March 30 for his vaccinations for his honeymoon. But the nurse refused to administer them, fearing he had a virus.

At home, Shane, a manager at Bodmin-based food company Tulip Foods, became disorientated and his condition rapidly deteriorated. Kerran called an ambulance but Shane, a keen fisherman, kayaker and Boconnoc Cricket Club player, was unable to communicate with paramedics.

He was immediately admitted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth where staff suspected meningitis and treated him as if he had it, but he later suffered cardiac arrest.

Shane died eight hours after arriving at hospital – on the day he was due to pick up his wedding suit.

Kerran, formerly of Launceston, said: 'This was a huge shock to us all. Intensive care staff worked so hard on Shane, a lot longer than they normally would – I cannot praise them enough.

'The sister and nurses went that extra mile – they knew about our wedding and wanted to do anything possible – but to no avail.

'I'm so desperately sad that Shane did not achieve all the things he planned.'

Following his passing, Shane's family and friends launched a campaign in his memory for Meningitis Now.

Although 'petrified of heights', Kerran and her cousin Joanne Harris did tandem skydives from 10,000ft above Perranporth to mark what would have been Shane's 40th birthday. They have raised more than £2,000.