King Charles III honors nine-year-old - Abuse caused Tony Hudgell to lose both legs, now he fights for other children
His story touches the whole of Great Britain - including the royal family: nine-year-old Tony Hudgell is honored by King Charles III with the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his social commitment. This makes Hudgell the youngest recipient of the medal to be awarded as part of the New Year Honors. Traditionally, people who have rendered outstanding services to the common good are awarded various honorary titles at the end of the year in Great Britain. Among the 1227 honorees this year are actress Emilia Clarke, singer Shirley Bassey and director Ridley Scott.
Hudgell first attracted attention three years ago when he decided to raise funds for London's Evelina Children's Hospital. The boy owes his life to the doctors at the hospital. As an infant, Hudgell was abused by his biological parents and suffered massive injuries. At the age of six weeks, he came to the hospital with numerous broken bones and severe facial injuries. He developed blood poisoning and his organs failed - the doctors fought for his life for months.
They were able to save him, but in 2017 both lower legs of the then three-year-old had to be amputated as a result of the abuse. Since then, Tony Hudgell has struggled through life with prostheses and on crutches - supported by his foster parents, who took him in after his trauma and eventually adopted him.
Tony Hudgell raised almost two million pounds for sick children
The idea of collecting donations for other sick children came to Tony Hudgell in the summer of 2020. He wanted to walk a total of ten kilometers, 300 meters every day. The 100-year-old Tom Moore, known as Captain Tom, served as his role model. The British veteran raised over £30 million for the National Health Service during the coronavirus pandemic by walking a hundred laps of his garden with his walking frame.
Hudgell's goal was around 500 pounds. A sum that was exceeded by far: So far, almost two million pounds has been raised for the children's hospital thanks to his efforts. And Hudgell wants to keep going so that other children don't have to go through what he did. He has set himself the goal of climbing Mount Everest at the age of 13 - on crutches.
Princess Kate, who has been Patron of Evelina Children's Hospital since 2018, invited Tony Hudgell to her Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey in 2021. In December of this year, Kate and the boy met again at an appointment at the hospital. The princess is now his "best friend", Hudgell said in an interview afterwards. His mother Paula Hudgell raved about Kate: "She is so kind and has such a big heart".
The boy is eagerly awaiting the forthcoming award ceremony by King Charles III. "It means a lot to me," the nine-year-old told the news portal "Sky News". He is happy and excited that he will now be invited to one of the famous garden parties at Buckingham Palace, he told the British newspaper "The Times".
With regard to his award, he is currently preoccupied with one question in particular: "Will it [the medal] be heavy or not?" Given all the suffering Tony Hudgell has had to endure in his young life so far, wearing a massive medal is likely to be one of his easier challenges.
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- Actress Emilia Clarke, singer Shirley Bassey, and director Ridley Scott are among the 1227 individuals honored by King Charles III in Great Britain, along with Tony Hudgell.
- The Duchess Kate, who serves as Patron of Evelina Children's Hospital, invited nine-year-old Tony Hudgell to her Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey in 2021, following his commendable efforts in fundraising.
- Tom Moore, a British veteran known as Captain Tom, inspired Hudgell's fundraising initiative, where he aimed to raise £500 for sick children, eventually collecting almost two million pounds.
- In 2018, Princess Kate became the Patron of the Evelina Children's Hospital, and since then, she has formed a strong bond with Tony Hudgell, referring to him as her "best friend."
- Despite the historical weight that comes with being a recipient of the British Empire Medal, King Charles III honored nine-year-old Tony Hudgell, who overcame severe mistreatment and lost both legs due to abuse, for his commitment to helping other children.
Source: www.stern.de
