Tony Hudgell, a five-year-old boy from West Malling, southeast England, has raised one million dollars while walking 6 miles with his prosthetic limbs for the hospital that saved his life while he was a new-born.
Hudgell had lost both his legs while he was a newborn, after having suffered abuse from his biological parents. This had left him on life support at a London children’s hospital. He was treated by the NHS hospital and had gotten prosthetic legs after having been a double amputee at such a young age.
In an attempt to help the hospital that helped him walk again, this little boy, who had only just learned to walk with crutches, had walked six miles for one whole month through June and helped raise $1.2 million, surpassing his original target. His initial goal was to raise around 500 pounds by walking a distance of 10 kilometres throughout June.
Speaking about this, Mark and Paula Hudgell, the proud adopted parents of this wunderkind, said, “The level of donation and the improvement in his walking over the past 26 days has blown away all expectations. It is incredible to think that just a few weeks ago Tony could barely take a few steps. He is such a strong and determined boy and we are so proud”.
Tony says that he was inspired to complete the challenge after watching “Captain Tom” Moore, the 100-year-old war veteran who became a national celebrity after raising more than $40 million for Britain’s National Health Service by doing 100 laps of his back garden. He has garnered support from people all over the world including celebrities like the Duchess of Cambridge, former Prime Minister David Cameron, and Chelsea footballer César Azpilicueta.