The children of a mother left disabled after a routine operation were given a Christmas to remember.

Sean, 11, Lily, six, and Dixie Bell, two, were nominated by their grandmother Julie Playle to have presents delivered by Father Christmas as their mother, Trena, has no recollection of last year’s festivities.

The gesture was part of a feature on BRFM radio, in Minster, asking listeners to nominate deserving children to receive a call from Santa.

Mrs Playle, from Sheerness, heard the appeal while she was cooking in her daughter Trena’s kitchen.

The 50-year-old said: "I thought I'd nominate my grandchildren because they've been through a hell of a year and deserve something special – a treat.

"I never win anything, so I was so surprised when the radio called to say they'd got through."

The youngsters' mother, Trena, went into Medway hospital in October last year to have a routine keyhole operation to have a cyst removed from her ovaries.

But, while on the operating table, the 32-year-old had two cardiac arrests.

A week later when she went for an angiogram to see what damage had been done to her heart, Trena had a stroke.

Mrs Playle, now one of her daughter's carers, said: "Trena has to have 24-hour live-in care. She has to be supervised 24 hours a day.

"She's been left with heart failure, she's having to learn how to cook again and read and write again, she also suffers with epilepsy and has lost most of her sight."

She added: "Trena's memory is also very poor. She's got no recollection of last Christmas or what she did for the children’s birthdays, that's why I wanted to make this Christmas a bit special."

Sean, Lily and Dixie received a phone call from Father Christmas on Friday before going to the radio station, in Oak Lane, where they were given presents, bought by BRFM listeners Lindsey Hanson and her husband Dean.

Mrs Playle said: "It's so humbling that there's people out there who would want to do that for others."

She thanked all who donated presents and everybody at BRFM. "They have all made a family very happy," she said.

She added: "I'd also like to thank my husband Mike and all of our friends and family who have been so supportive this past year. I don’t know where we’d be without them all."