One Health Group Celebrates Consultant Surgeon’s Role in Life-Changing Procedure

One Health Group is immensely proud to announce that one of our distinguished consultant surgeons, James Fernandes, has successfully performed a transformative surgical procedure on Tony Hudgell, a courageous nine-year-old boy from West Malling, Kent. This groundbreaking operation took place at Sheffield Children's Hospital and aimed to improve Tony's mobility significantly, which had been severely affected following tragic circumstances in his early life.

Tony, who tragically had both legs amputated after suffering abuse by his birth parents, underwent a complex five-hour surgery. This procedure was meticulously planned and executed by Mr. Fernandes and involved securing Tony’s permanently dislocated hip and attaching an adjustable frame to lengthen one of his legs.

Commenting on the procedure, James Fernandes said, "We've created a 'false' hip and installed an external fixator. The ongoing adjustments will hopefully bring Tony’s leg closer in length to the other, significantly enhancing his mobility."

Tony’s adoptive mother, Paula Hudgell, shared that despite the challenges, the surgery promises a brighter future for Tony. "This is going to be life-changing for him," she remarked. Tony has already shown immense spirit and resilience, raising almost £2m for charity through various challenges and was recently honoured with the British Empire Medal for his services to the prevention of child abuse.

At One Health Group, we are honoured to have a professional of Mr. Fernandes's calibre as part of our team. His expertise and dedication not only bring hope to his patients but also advance medical practice in orthopaedic surgery.

For more about Tony's journey and the surgery, read the full story on BBC News.