A 10-year-old boy, whose legs were amputated after being abused by his parents, has undergone surgery that allows him to walk without assistance.
Tony Hudgell, who has spent years relying on crutches, prosthetics, or a wheelchair, has now undergone an operation to reconstruct his permanently dislocated hip and lengthen his left leg. As a result, he can now walk on his upper legs.
With his legs now of equal length, using prosthetics will also be easier for him.
His adoptive mother, Paula Hudgell, 57, shared with The Sun, “It’s a complete miracle—the surgeon was absolutely incredible. This isn’t the end of surgeries, but he won’t need another one for a while, so he is looking forward to playing football.” She added, “He can’t wait—he even kicked a ball a little while he was recovering, which he maybe shouldn’t have done, but it all worked out okay!”
Tony, who won the hearts of many by raising over £2 million for the hospital that saved his life as a toddler, was praised by Paula for his “resilience and determination.”
At just six weeks old, Tony suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his birth parents, Anthony Smith and Jody Simpson, which caused multiple fractures to his limbs. The couple, jailed for 10 years in 2018, waited 10 days before seeking medical help, by which time Tony had developed multiple organ failure and septicemia.
The medical staff at Evelina London Children’s Hospital saved his life, but Tony had to have both legs amputated at the knee when he was four years old due to the extent of his injuries.
Tony’s tireless campaigning led to the creation of ‘Tony’s Law’ in 2022, which increased the maximum prison sentence for those who cause or allow harm to a child. As a result, Tony became the youngest person to receive the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2024 New Year Honours for his efforts to prevent child abuse.
Tony has also partnered with ‘Bionic MP’ Lord Craig Mackinlay and Paralympian Richard Whitehead to raise awareness for better limb loss support while also fundraising for Christmas gifts for children in need.