Campaigning boy has life-changing surgery

Tony Hudgell has had an operation to secure his hip and enable the lengthening of one of his legs

A nine-year old boy who had both legs amputated following abuse as a baby by his birth parents has had life-changing surgery.

Tony Hudgell, from West Malling in Kent, has undergone five hours of surgery at Sheffield Children's Hospital.

He had an operation to help secure his permanently dislocated hip and attach an adjustable frame which will lengthen one of his legs.

"Tony's pain has been through the roof, " his adoptive mother Paula Hudgell said.

Tony lost his legs due to injuries inflicted by his birth parents, who were jailed for 10 years in 2018.

He was adopted by Paula and Mark Hudgell and has raised almost £2m for charity through a series of challenges.

In order to use his prosthetic legs Tony needs to use crutches.

Mrs Hudgell said: "Tony has a permanently dislocated hip and his left leg is shorter than his right leg.

"The aim [of the surgery] is to help the hip to be more secure and to grow the left leg as well."

James Fernandes, who carried out the surgery, said he had created a "false" hip, with "a fixater on the outside".

"Now it is for Tony and Paula to carry on the rest of the work turning the nuts and bolts, so we get that bone a bit longer so that it is almost equal to the other side."

Tony has lost some of his mobility following the operation.

"I have to get mum and dad to carry me," he said.

The cage on Tony's leg has to be adjusted several times each day

Mrs Hudgell said: "The idea will be that eventually he'll be able to walk without crutches and maybe one day fulfill his dream and be able to run.

"HIs leg and his hip is going to be in a cage frame for anything up to a year, and daily there have to be adjustments done to it.

"This is going to be life-changing for him."

Tony, who co-founded the Tony Hudgell Foundation, was the youngest-ever recipient of a New Year Honour in December when he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the prevention of child abuse.

Mrs Hudgell said: "He'll probably move on to another challenge, knowing Tony."