Paula Hudgell, who won national praise for her tireless campaigning on child abuse laws, revealed that her cancer has returned and spread – nearly two years after she was first diagnosed
The devoted mum who gave Tony Hudgell a second chance at life has shared the devastating news that she’s now fighting stage four lung cancer after her cancer returned and spread.
Paula Hudgell, who won national praise for her tireless campaigning on child abuse laws, revealed that her cancer has not only returned but has 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.
READ MORE: Boy who was so badly abused he had legs amputated dubbed ‘hero’ for charity work
Paula, who was honoured with an OBE in 2022 for her fight to bring about Tony’s Law, was diagnosed with bowel cancer that same year. But in a moving social media post on Saturday, she told followers the disease has now progressed.
“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.