The family of an ill youngster have hit the right notes to find a new way of bringing a smile to his face.

Caleb Murray and his family have all taken up learning musical instruments to help them get through his countless visits to the hospital and operations for his rare condition.

Caleb, seven, who attends Stocks Lane Primary School in Clayton Heights, was diagnosed at the age of one with juvenile polyposis, a series of growths on the intestine. Since then he has had six operations to remove tumours from his bowel and his condition has to be regularly monitored.

Mum Mindi, 35, of Town End Road, Clayton, said: "The doctors are confused as to why the tumours keep coming back because they had hoped that he would make a full recovery. The next stage is that the whole family has to be tested to see if the condition is hereditary."

Caleb has always had a passion for music and is learning to play the violin and bass guitar. His brother Callum Palmer, 14, won the instruments for the youngster in a competition run by Woods music shop in Bradford.

Callum, who was a finalist in the Telegraph & Argus Modelsearch 2004 competition, said: "I won everything you need to set up a band including a bass guitar, electric guitar and amplifiers, a full drum kit, microphones and a PA system.

"I decided to share them out with my family and Caleb wanted the bass guitar."

Callum is learning to play the electric guitar and has started a band called Hades with three schoolfriends. Mum Mindi is a lead singer in a band and has performed three times with fellow band members Meta4 at the Waggoners in Queensbury.

The musical talent does not end there as Caleb's sister Rhiannon Palmer, 12, is learning to play the drums.

"One of the members of my band is teaching her and she is already very good," said Mindi.