TWO children who have inspired people with their positive attitudes and fortitude after undergoing major surgery have been nominated for Community Pride awards.

Oscar Hughes, eight, of Dunnington, had a brain tumour removed in an 11-hour operation earlier this year, since when he has started fundraising for the children’s cancer charity Yorkshire Candlelighters.

Joel Malyon, seven, of White House Dale, York, was given one of his mother’s kidneys in an operation in 2009, since when he has regularly taken part in the British Transplant Games and raised money for transplant charities.

Sharon Reid, who nominated Oscar for a Child Of The Year award, said: “Everyone that meets Oscar finds him an inspiration – his nurses, doctors, sports coaches, teachers, classmates, friends and family are all universally united in their admiration of this eight-year-old boy who has used his own illness as a way to raise money for other children who are suffering from cancer, while still going through chemotherapy himself.”

She said that prior to falling ill in February, Oscar had been the fittest and healthiest boy she had ever met. “He was sport obsessed and whatever sport he played, he was always the best,” she said.

She said that while his operation and subsquent chemotherapy would have been an incredibly traumatic, difficult and depressing time for most people, Oscar had approached it with a positive and matter-of-fact attitude.

Two days after his operation, he had astonished doctors by getting out of bed to start walking again so he could strengthen up his muscles.

Gill Conroy, who nominated her nephew, Joel, said he had shown “incredible fortitude throughout his short life to date”.

She said that in the past year alone, he had undergone two major operations on his bowel, had been diagnosed with epilepsy and was currently undergoing chemotherapy for a transplant related disorder.

“Joel is a lovely bubbly character, very brave and very knowledgeable about his illnesses and his treatment,” she said.

Joel’s mother, Polly, who also nominated him, said; “He’s been an inspiration to all of us. He just takes it and deals with it. He has been so brave, he is just amazing. He has such a character and spirit – he doesn’t get down.”

• The Community Pride Awards are held in partnership with City of York Council and sponsored by benenden health.