Lancaster schoolboy smashes fundraising bid after brain tumour recovery

When the 11-year-old set off on the Jog 26.2 Miles in May Challenge for Brain Tumour Research he set himself a target of £1,000.

But on completion of the marathon challenge, Connor had raised more than triple that amount - £3,268.44 - thanks to a combination of online donations and a collection at his school sports day.

“Connor completed his final mile accompanied by some of his teachers. It was quite emotional to watch,” said mum Laura.

It was thanks to Bowerham School teachers that Connor’s absence seizures were first noticed in October.

He was referred to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary for tests which showed signs of epilepsy but a further MRI scan indicated a brain tumour on his right temple and he had a four hour operation to remove it at Manchester Children’s Hospital at the end of February.

Fortunately, the tumour was non-aggressive and after just a month, Connor returned to school.

He has been able to return to football training with Highgrove Under 11s where he is captain, and can play most of the other sports he loves. He has also made a gradual return to Kaizan Academy where he won a gold medal for mixed martial arts in January.

His latest fundraising challenge involved him running the equivalent distance of a marathon throughout May.

Commenting on his success, Connor said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me. I never thought I’d raise so much money when I started.”