A Bradford teenager who survived meningitis as a baby is now battling a rare form of bone cancer.

Connor Lancaster, 13, has also suffered the tragedy of losing his much loved step dad Adam Lancaster, in January 2009 aged 32, who died after also contracting meningitis.

Conor, of Wibsey, has been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of bone cancer which affects fewer than 30 children in the UK each year.

But his mum Julie Lancaster, 35, said her only child was a fighter. “I am so proud of Connor and how resilient he is,” she said.

“He has had so much to face over the years and he does it all with a smile on his face. He is an inspiration. No matter what the world throws at him, he just keeps bouncing back.”

Connor, who attends Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, was two weeks old when he was diagnosed with group B streptoccal meningitis.

His mother was told he would not survive and if he did he would be badly brain damaged. She even had him baptised in hospital.

“The fighter that he is, he made a recovery and it was much better than expected,” she said. “He has to wear splints on both his legs and he is registered partially sighted but other than that he leads a normal life.”

When Adam married Julia in May 2008, Connor developed such a special relationship with Adam he changed his name by deed poll and called him dad.

But Adam died after contracting pneumococcal meningitis just seven months after the wedding.

After having bereavement counselling, the youngster bounced back and became his normal, smiling self again – but then a week before Christmas he began to suffer pain in his groin and hip and was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary where they discovered a lump in his pelvis and sent him to Leeds General Infirmary.

On January 6 the tumour, which was the size of a grapefruit, was diagnosed as Ewing’s sarcoma and within a week he was having chemotherapy on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at LGI.

He had surgery at the Birmingham Royal Orthopaedic Hospital to remove the tumour and the pubic bone on the left side of his pelvis.

He is now back in Leeds waiting for an infection in his scar to heal before he can restart his chemotherapy, which is working well. He then faces weeks of radiotherapy.

Julie said because of the support they had received, they were holding a fun day for the Teenage Cancer Trust on Saturdau, the day before Connor’s 14th birthday, with one of his favourite local bands State of Error playing live. There will also be stalls, a raffle, a tombola, quizzes and games from 12noon to 5pm at Dudley Hill Rugby Club. Everyone is invited.

Julie will be having her head shaved so she and Connor can race to see who can get the most hair by Christmas.

Julie added: “We have been though so much that we just learn to deal with it. I keep myself cheerful for Connor. He is like a cat with nine lives – he will live until he is 100.” To donate visit: justgiving.com/julie-lancaster