A boy whose legs were amputated after suffering horrific abuse at the hands of his birth parents has been able to walk unaided for the first time.
Tony Hudgell, who was just 10 years old, had to be quickly taken to the hospital due to injuries that would alter his life. This incident occurred back in 2014 when he was only 41 days old. The reason behind his hospitalization was the mistreatment inflicted upon him by his parents, Tony Smith and Jody Simpson.
The couple were found guilty of child cruelty in 2018 and are both serving a 10-year prison sentence.
In 2017, Tony had both legs amputated due to the injuries he sustained as an infant.
Now after an operation to reconstruct his permanently dislocated hip, he has finally been able to walk unaided – without his prosthetic legs.
His legs are now both equal legs which makes walking easier.
Adoptive mum Paula Hudgell, 57, told 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.
‘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 has previously been hailed a hero by Prince William and wife Kate over his extraordinary fundraising walks to help vulnerable children.
Tony’s achievements, include raising over £2million for charity and becoming the youngest person to receive a British Empire Medal from King Charles for his services to the prevention of child abuse.
He set out to raise £500 for the hospital that saved his life by walking 10km in 30 days in 2020 after being inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised more than £33million walking in his backyard.
In 2021, a foundation set up in his name to enhance the lives of children who have been affected by physical, emotional, or psychological abuse provided more than 700 Christmas presents for youngsters in need, and it continued the tradition last Christmas, too.
The 10-year-old’s phenomenal fundraising achievements come despite an incredibly tough start to life which led to him undergoing 23 operations and eight blood transfusions.
The horrific abuse he was subject to by his birth parents caused serious injuries – and the infant also developed sepsis because Smith and Simpson waited 10 days before taking him to hospital.
At just 41 days old, Tony – now 10 – was admitted to hospital with multiple organ failure and sepsis as a result of a fracture brought about by being swung around by his ankles.
He was discharged from hospital at four months and put into the care of Paula and Mark Hudgell, from Kings Hill in Kent.
But he still had regular visits with his birth parents Tony Smith, 47, and Jody Simpson, 24, who claimed his injuries were accidental.
The CPS dropped the case against them due to a lack of evidence, but Paula and Mark petitioned their MP and their police crime commissioner, leading to Smith and Simpson being jailed for 10 years in February 2018.
When Tony was admitted to hospital he was just ‘seconds away’ from death and doctors believed he didn’t have much chance of survival.
His birth parents claimed his injuries were the result of a ‘terrible accident’, and were still allowed three two-hour sessions with him a week.
However, they had actually inflicted a horrific ordeal on their little boy during which they swung him by his ankles and broke his legs in eight places.
They left him in agony with no medical treatment for 10 days, which they later said was because they were waiting for someone to come and fix their boiler.
The abuse continued during their scheduled visits with Tony where they pulled down his cast and snapped the split in his leg, leaving it unsupported.
Paula and Mark decided to apply to adopt the youngster in March 2015, but were told they couldn’t know the full extent of what happened until they were legally his parents.
The CPS informed them that there wasn’t evidence to charge Tony’s birth parents with the abuse.
His adoptive parents weren’t content to let them walk free and have the freedom to attack other children, and started campaigning to get the case reopened.
They petitioned everyone from their MP to their local mayor and it took a year for the case to go back to court.
Meanwhile, Tony had to have both his legs amputated as infection had done them so much damage.
The couple adopted Tony in March 2016 and they were finally allowed to know the extent of his injuries.
Last year, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis posted letters to Tony at their mother’s annual Christmas service.
