A LAD whose legs were amputated after he was abused by his parents has had surgery to help him walk unaided.
Tony Hudgell, 10, has spent years getting around on crutches and prosthetics, or in a wheelchair.
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But after an op to reconstruct his permanently dislocated hip, and lengthen his left leg he can walk on his upper legs.
Wearing prosthetics will also be easier as his legs are now of equal length.
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, who captured the hearts of the nation when he raised more than £2 million for the hospital that saved his life as a tot, was praised by his adoptive mum for his “resilience and determination”.
The 10-year-old was subjected to a campaign of horrific abuse by his birth parents Anthony Smith and Jody Simpson, which left him with multiple fractures to his limbs at just six-weeks old.
The evil pair, who were both jailed for 10 years in 2018, then waited 10 days before seeking medical help, by which time Tony had also developed multiple organ failure and septicaemia.
Medical staff at Evelina London Children’s Hospital saved his life, but he had to have both legs amputated at the knee as a result of his injuries when he was four-years-old.
After tireless campaigning by the schoolboy, ‘Tony’s Law’ was introduced in 2022 to increase the maximum prison sentence for anyone who causes or allows physical harm to, or the death of, a child in their care.
As a result, he became the youngest person ever to receive the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2024 New Year Honours for his services to the prevention of child abuse.
He has now teamed up with ‘Bionic MP’ Lord Craig Mackinlay and gold medal-winning Paralympian Richard Whitehead to advocate for better limb loss support, at the same time as fundraising to provide Christmas presents for needy children.
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