Pride of Britain winner Tony Hudgell's mum makes vow after shock revelation
The mum of Pride of Britain winner Tony Hudgell has vowed to "give this the biggest fight of my life' after sharing that she is now fighting stage four lung cancer.
Paula Hudgell, who gave Tony a second chance at life and has won national praise for her tireless campaigning on child abuse laws, has revealed the sad news that her cancer has returned and spread, nearly two years after she was first diagnosed. The 57-year-old former nurse adopted Tony in 2016 after he was left with life-changing injuries by his birth parents. The abuse little Tony suffered was so severe that both of the youngster's legs had to be amputated.
Paula was honoured with an OBE in 2022 for her fight to bring about Tony's Law. But that same year she was diagnosed with bowel cancer and in a moving social media post on Saturday, she told followers the disease has now returned and spread.
'It's been a really tough few weeks,' she wrote in an emotional Instagram message. 'In 2022, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer - and after feeling the best I have in years, I've now been hit with the heartbreaking news that it's returned, and this time it's also in my lung. Stage 4. It's been a huge shock, and it's taken some time for us to get our heads around it.'
Sharing a photo of the marking left on her chest from the portacath used to deliver treatment, she added: 'In ten days, I'll start aggressive chemo. We don't know exactly what the future holds, but I'm ready to give this the biggest fight of my life.'
Paula lives in Kent with her husband Mark and their children, including Tony, now 10. The couple adopted him after he survived unimaginable abuse as a baby - suffering fractures, sepsis, organ failure, and ultimately losing both legs.
But despite his brutal start in life, Tony has defied all odds. He has walked on prosthetics, raised over £1.8 million for charity, and become a national hero - winning a Pride of Britain award and receiving heartfelt praise from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Paula's relentless campaigning alongside MPs and child protection charities led to the introduction of Tony's Law in 2022, increasing the maximum jail terms for those who cause or allow serious harm or death to a child.
Jody Simpson, 33, and her partner Tony Smith, 54, were sentenced to 10 years in prison in February 2018. But Simpson was freed from prison on June 30 following a risk assessment by the Parole Board. She will face strict conditions including on her movements and contact with others.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told The Mirror: "This was a horrific crime that saw Tony Hudgell mercilessly tortured by his birth parents and our thoughts remain with him and his loved ones. Now that Jody Simpson has been released as directed by the Independent Parole Board, she will be subject to strict supervision and licence conditions. She faces an immediate return to prison if she breaks the rules."
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