Amputee nervous but excited about secondary school

A boy who had both of his legs amputated after he was assaulted by his birth parents says he is excited but nervous as he prepares to start secondary school.

Tony Hudgell lives in West Malling with his adoptive mum, Paula Hudgell, who has campaigned tirelessly and successfully for a UK child cruelty register.

As Tony prepared to start at his new secondary school on Wednesday, the 11-year-old said the experience would be a "quite exciting and maybe even nerve wracking for me".

Paula, who is currently undergoing treatment for terminal cancer, says she is "so proud" of her son.

Paula said: "To think that Tony was a child that they never thought would survive, and even when he did, [they thought] he wouldn't be able to talk, he wouldn't sit, and look at him now.

"He's just so excited to go there. I'm hoping it'll be the making of him, and he'll just thrive."

Tony, now 11, was attacked by his birth parents Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith when he was 41 days old, leading to organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis.

Tony's experiences have informed Paula's campaigning, and in February this year, the government backed the call to have parents found guilty of neglect be monitored in a similar way to sex offenders.

In March 2025, the 11-year-old was fitted for new prosthetics allowing him to walk without crutches.

Tony said that while he will get on and off the school bus with his legs on, but inside the school, "it'll be a choice if I do or not".

Paula, who said she underwent "two lots of chemo" and two major operations last year, starts radiotherapy next week.

"I'm so thankful that I'm here to watch him go off to secondary school, this time last year I didn't think I would be," she said.

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