Tony Hudgell

[IsolaPribby]

I have just been watching this lad on BBC news, and wanted to look up the fund raising page, so googled his name. I was totally unprepared for what came up. I am in tears, how can people be so cruel!

At the same time, how amazing are his adoptive parents, to have raised him to be so happy and brave.

I have never said this on here before, but I hope his birth parents rot in hell.

Yes he’s a brilliant little guy, real cheeky personality and how amazing his parents are. This case was fairly local to me so it’s been in our local news often over the years, consequently I have followed it. His mother in particular is a staunch campaigner not only on his behalf but for other child victims of cruelty and neglect. Also she campaigned against Tony’s birth parents appealing their sentences - unbelievably they thought ten years was too long to be punished for giving their child a life sentence.

He's an incredible little lad. We heard all about this case on our local news at the time and he and his family live not far from our village. It was and still is shocking to hear what he was subjected to and his adoptive parents have done such an amazing job. Whenever he's been on the tv over the last few years he's always such a cheery chap, nothing seems to faze him.

He is a little darling, never fails to make me smile (usually through tears) the local news has regular pieces on him and his progress. And now he’s walking to raise money for the hospital because he saw captain Tom had the same stroller. 🥰

Just seen on the local news he’s so far raised GBP349,000 for the Evelina Children’s Hospital. Off to donate now......

I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable about the amount of exposure he's had. Not sure the ethics of it really. But this won't be a popular opinion.

I think it's time his mum stopped publicising herself and him. It's great after such an horrific start in life that everyone knew he had a happy ending but I don't think it's great to keep on having him in the papers, or mum being praised for 'taking him on'.

But I don't know, I've rethought all my views about children and social media recently.

I replied to another thread about this few days ago. I'm very local to him and I'm indeed very happy that he's now in a loving family.

But. I am increasingly uncomfortable of the amount of publicity his family is seeking. I agree with Noeuf that's it's great to know he's loved and looked after now but he has a right to privacy now and not to be a mascot for the hospital. He is 5 years old and no-way is mature enough to decide he wants to fund raise for his hospital

Sorry to bump an old thread but I couldn't see a new one. I just wanted to post this:
Tony Hudgell: Double amputee eight-year-old climbs Lake District fell - BBC News
What a remarkable boy.