The adoptive mother of child abuse survivor Tony Hudgell has spoken of her heartbreak at knowing she may never live to see her son’s wedding day.
Paula Hudgell has revealed she was misdiagnosed 14 times before doctors finally confirmed her cancer was terminal.
The 58-year-old campaigner gave Tony, now ten years old, a loving home after he lost both legs to abuse by his birth parents.
Since then, Paula has fought for tougher sentences for child abusers and successfully brought in Tony’s Law in 2022.
The legislation increased maximum sentence for anyone who causes or allows the death of a child from 14 years to life.
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Three years ago, Paula was diagnosed with bowel cancer. In the summer, she revealed it had spread to her lungs and is now incurable.
She told The Mirror: ‘It’s hard for all of us to get our heads around, but I’m trying to prepare them as much as possible.
‘I was on the school run with Tony last week and he turned the radio up, because there was a love song playing that he liked.
‘He told me he was going to have it at his wedding.
‘It suddenly hit me that I won’t be at his wedding. I had my tears from him, but it hurts so much that I won’t see him grow up or get married.’
Paula has said she repeatedly visited her GP with symptoms that were dismissed as IBS.
She lived with symptoms for four years before demanding a bowel cancer test.
Despite being told she was cancer-free after surgery and chemotherapy, the disease had returned and spread to her lungs – she shared in July.
She shared on Instagram: ‘It’s been a really tough few weeks.
‘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.’
Paula publicly writes about her journey on social media, highlighting the importance of getting checked for cancer.
One Instagram user commented: ‘Paula I’m absolutely devastated for you. This is not the reward for someone who has selflessly given so much.’
‘Life is cruel and unfair. You are the most incredible human. Sending love even though I only know you from social media.’
Another person commented: ‘Why is life so terribly unfair when there are so many awful people in the world.
‘I don’t even know you except for on here, yet this feels so personal as you mean so much to so many. Sending you all the love and strength in the world.’
Tony was six weeks old when he suffered multiple fractures, sepsis, organ failure, and ultimately had to have both legs amputated due to the abuse he faced.
Childhood sweethearts Paula and Mark Hudgell wanted to help disadvantaged children, so they both began their foster carer training journey.
The couple fostered Tony for a year before, as they put it on their website, they ‘became so attached to him they couldn’t let him go’.
In 2016, Paula and Mark adopted him at the age of 17 months.
Now ten, Tony has already achieved a lot – he is learning to walk on prosthetic legs, won a Pride of Britain award, gained the attention of the Prince and Princess of Wales and climbed up London’s O2 Arena.
Tony and his family have raised more than £2 million for charity through the Tony Hudgell Foundation. The foundation aims to enhance the lives of children who have been affected by physical, emotional or psychological abuse.
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