Paula Hudgell, the adoptive mother of double-amputee fundraising hero Tony Hudgell, has shared an emotional update on her battle with stage four bowel cancer, revealing she has undergone a gruelling, life-saving surgical procedure.
A Brutal Fight for More Time
In a heartfelt Instagram post on Wednesday, the 58-year-old former nurse from Kent described recovering from a major two-part surgery, which she called "the most brutal thing I have ever been through." Mrs Hudgell underwent Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), a complex treatment where visible tumours are removed before heated chemotherapy is washed through the abdominal cavity. The procedure also included a hernia repair.
"I won't sugar-coat it - that first week was the most brutal thing I have ever been through," she wrote. "The pain, the exhaustion, the fear… there were moments I didn't know how I would get through it." She credited forcing herself to walk repeatedly with helping her recover enough to return home to her family after 12 days in hospital.
Welcome News Amid an Ongoing Battle
The inspiring campaigner, who received an OBE in 2022, shared that she had recently received a piece of positive news. Tests on the removed tissue showed the cancer was contained to a solitary nodule, with no disease found elsewhere in the treated area or the organs that were removed. "I cried tears of relief," Mrs Hudgell said. "It was the best news we could have hoped for."
However, her fight is not over. The cancer had also spread to her lung, and she now faces the next hurdle: a CT scan to determine if nodules there are stable enough for potential surgery. "If not, then it's back to chemo. Either way, we keep going," she stated with characteristic resilience.
A Campaigner's Journey from Misdiagnosis to 'Tony's Law'
Paula Hudgell's cancer journey began with a delayed diagnosis. She was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2022 after claiming GPs misdiagnosed her symptoms as IBS or menopause 14 times over four years. By the time it was found, the tumour had grown through the bowel wall and may have been present for up to a decade.
After initial surgery and chemotherapy left her cancer-free, she received the devastating news in July last year that the disease had returned as stage four cancer, spreading to her lung and the lining of her abdomen (peritoneum).
Mrs Hudgell is widely known for her tireless campaigning after adopting her son, Tony. Tony was just six weeks old when he suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his birth parents, leading to multiple fractures, sepsis, organ failure, and the amputation of both his legs. His birth parents received 10-year sentences, both released in 2024.
Driven by Tony's experience, Paula campaigned for tougher sentences for child cruelty, a fight that led to 'Tony's Law' coming into force. This legislation increased the maximum prison sentence for those who cause or allow serious harm or death to a child.
Despite the family's challenges, Tony has thrived, learning to walk on prosthetic legs and raising over £1.8 million for children's charities, earning a Pride of Britain award and meeting the Prince and Princess of Wales.
In her post, Paula Hudgell expressed profound gratitude to her medical team at The Hampshire Clinic for giving her "more time with the people I love," and to the friends and supporters whose messages carried her through dark moments. The update prompted an outpouring of love from well-wishers, including former BBC Radio 2 host Zoe Ball and fashion designer Karen Millen.
