Tony Hudgell: Amputee schoolboy raises £500,000 for hospital

A five-year-old double amputee who set out to raise £500 by walking every day in June has reached the £500,000 mark.

Tony Hudgell, from Kings Hill in Kent, had to have both legs amputated after abuse from his birth parents as a baby.

His challenge in aid of the Evelina London Children's Hospital, which saved his life, was inspired by Captain Tom Moore.

Tony's adoptive mother Paula Hudgell said: "We're just so grateful we've been able to give something back."

He was treated at the hospital in London when he was just a few weeks old and since having prosthetic legs fitted last year, his new family said he was thriving.

He is aiming to walk at least a third of a kilometre every day this month to reach his 10km challenge.

Mrs Hudgell said it started off as "more of a challenge to make him walk every day and to make us do it with him every day because life's so hectic at times... it's so easy not to do those important things".

The total amount raised is through Tony's JustGiving page, along with other donations and gift aid.

Mrs Hudgell said it would make "a huge difference".

"This hospital deals with incredibly sick children, and we're so lucky that it's Tony's second home," she said.

"It's the hospital that's going to look after him until he's 18.

"He needs ongoing operations as he gets older, so we know that Tony will benefit from this as well as thousands of other children."

She added: "So many people have come out to support him and cheer him on. We can't thank everybody enough."

Captain Tom raised more than £32m for NHS charities by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in April.