Paula Hudgell, the adoptive mother of double-amputee campaigner Tony Hudgell, has revealed she is recovering from intensive life-saving surgery after her bowel cancer spread to her abdominal lining. The 58-year-old former nurse shared an emotional update on Wednesday, describing the two-part procedure and hernia repair as 'the most brutal thing I have ever been through'.
Mrs Hudgell, who received an OBE in 2022 for her campaigning that led to 'Tony's Law', was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in February 2022 after GPs allegedly misdiagnosed her 14 times over four years. The cancer later returned as stage 4, spreading to her lung and peritoneal lining.
In an Instagram post, she revealed she underwent HIPEC and CRS surgery, a gruelling procedure involving tumour removal and heated chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity, along with a hernia repair with mesh. She wrote: 'I won't sugar-coat it - that first week was the most brutal thing I have ever been through. The pain, the exhaustion, the fear… there were moments I didn't know how I would get through it.'
Mrs Hudgell shared that test results brought welcome news: 'It was a solitary nodule, and no cancer was found anywhere else within that area or the organs they removed. The best news we could have hoped for.' She now faces further scans to assess lung nodules, with the possibility of surgery or chemotherapy.
She thanked the medical team at The Hampshire Clinic, saying: 'Their care, compassion, and skill gave me something priceless - more time with the people I love.' Tony, 11, had his legs amputated after horrific abuse by his birth parents, and his mother's campaigning led to tougher child cruelty sentences.
