A MOTHER whose new-born child was diagnosed with meningitis today praised medics who saved his life.

Karen Tolmie's son Ryan became ill when he was just a week old and was given the Last Rites after a midwife raised the alarm because she thought he might have the potentially deadly brain bug.

But after expert care at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, he is today back home with his family.

Karen, of St Mary's Wharf, Blackburn, gave birth to Ryan on March 1.

Just a week later, he was whisked back to hospital after becoming poorly.

Karen, a full-time mum, said meningitis did not cross her mind when Ryan became ill.

She said: "When you think of meningitis you think of a rash but there was nothing like that. The only sign was that his hands and feet were freezing but his body had a temperature, and his lips were blue.

"He had signs of being constipated and I thought that was why he was a funny colour."

A midwife came out to check on him and immediately whisked him off to Queen's Park hospital for tests.

Karen went to the hospital too but could not stand to see her son suffer. She said: "I couldn't stay there and go through the trauma of watching him in pain so my husband, David, and I went for a cup of tea. When we came back they said it was meningitis, the more serious bacterial one.

"I didn't think babies so young could get meningitis. It was a real shock."

Karen, who has two other children - four-year-old Lewis and Chloe, three - said it was "touch and go" as to whether baby Ryan would pull through for the first 48 hours. He was actually given the Last Rites.

But his health improved and he was allowed home on Tuesday, although he is still on medication.

Karen said: "I just want to say thank you to the hospital because they acted so quickly and found out what it was in time."

John Thomas, chief executive of the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, said: "The paediatric team at Queen's Park were very pleased with the progress Ryan made and that he was well enough to be discharged home."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.