The family of a man with Down's Syndrome who will spend December 25 in hospital after a life-saving operation have called on the community to bring Christmas magic to his bedside.

Danny Benham, 28, of Homestead Way, New Addington, will spend the run-up to his favourite day of the year in intensive care and the rest of the festive season recovering from heart bypass surgery at Royal Brompton Hospital.

The operation is likely to double his life expectancy, but means Mr Benham will be "gutted" to miss his traditional family Christmas at home.

However, his doting cousin Jemma Greenslade has hatched a plan to sprinkle festive cheer in the hospital ward - by delivering "sackful" of Christmas cards and arranging a visit from Santa Claus.

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Jemma Greenslade said her cousin Danny Benham was "more like a brother"

And the Croydon Guardian is backing her appeal for readers to help put a smile on Mr Benham's face by sending him cards.

Miss Greenslade, 30, who grew up alongside her cousin and described him as "more like a brother", said: "It would mean so much if people could send him some nice messages or some get-well wishes so he can open them.

"Christmas is his favourite time of the year. He will be gutted that he will miss Christmas but even more gutted he will miss Christmas dinner."

Mr Benham's family have also set up a Facebook page for him to update friends and relatives on his progress and allow him to receive messages while he is in Royal Brompton, a specialist heart and lung centre in Kensington.

He will be admitted on December 21, undergo surgery the next day and spend 10 days in hospital.

The surgery, to close two holes in his heart, could extend his life expectancy from his thirties to his seventies.

Mum-of-two Miss Greenslade, who plans to visit her cousin every day, said: "If he doesn't have the operation, it will filter into his lungs and he will die. So they have to fix these holes and unfortunately it is at Christmas.

"We knew about the operation for about a year but only got the date about three weeks ago. There is no way of postponing it because in a year's time it could be ten times worse and not able to be operated on."

Mr Benham's mum, Carol, 49, will stay in the hospital with her son, sleeping on a cabin bed by his.

She said: "It will change his whole life. The doctors have said he will have real quality of life now. 

"He will obviously still always have special needs, but his health will be so much better.

"Because he has special needs I wouldn't leave him in the hospital, so I will be there the whole ten days. Nobody would understand him like I do. "

Mr Benham, who lives with his mum, dad Benny, 55, and brother Frankie, 15, has been enjoying festive lunches in advance with friends, family and a club he attends each Monday at the Addington Community Centre.

His dad and brother will visit him on Christmas Day and he will also receive a very special visitor on Christmas Eve, when Santa Claus has agreed to take a detour from his route through the hospital's children's ward.

His mum, a dinner lady, said: "Danny is very sociable. He loves being around people and socialising.

"He loves Christmas. I'm sure it would make him happy to receive a great big sackful of cards. I could sit and read them to him."

Anyone who wants to send a card to Danny can post it to: Flat 73 Poplar Court, Gap Road, Wimbledon, SW19 8JW