North East Family Hero 2014 - Connor Rowntree

Connor was a typical teenage boy, when at only 15 his life changed forever when he sustained life-threatening injuries as a blaze broke out at his friend’s house. What started out as a game turned into a nightmare when Connor quickly became engulfed by flames and suffered 90% burns to his body.

Connor spent 11 months and two weeks in the RVI burns unit in Newcastle, undergoing more than a hundred medical procedures and skin grafts.

Connor has found the inner strength to not only survive, mentally and physically, but to make sure his story is told. During the past 4 years he has been travelling around the country talking to children of all ages about the dangers of messing about with fire and showing them the consequences through ‘The Connor Rowntree Project.’

Connor is an extraordinary special young man who has battled against the odds and is a true survivor in every sense of the word.