The card shows Frankie and her mother Katey last Christmas

Frankie Owen, from Llandrindod Wells, died in April aged just two, after surviving two open heart surgery operations and a heart and lung by-pass during her short life.

But now Oswestry-based Hope House Children's Hospice is using a picture of Frankie and her mum, Katey, on their Christmas cards.

The cards will be sent to supporters of the charity thanking them for their donations during the year.

The hospice provides respite care for children and their families in mid and north Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire.

It has more than 250 families on its books and is in the middle of a campaign to build a new hospice in the Conwy Valley in north Wales.

The picture shows how happy she was and how she lived life to the full and never let her problems get her down Katey Owen

"We have used Hope House since Frankie was six months old and we are delighted that the hospice has decided to use her photo on their cards," said Mrs Owen, who is still having bereavement counselling at the hospice.

"The picture shows how happy she was and how she lived life to the full and never let her problems get her down."

"Frankie had open heart surgery when she was just two weeks and also had a heart and lung by-pass followed by more open heart surgery three weeks later.

She also spent three weeks desperately ill on a heart and lung machine.

"Most people are usually on it for two days and if you have to use it for three days you die, but Frankie even battled through that."

Charlotte Mansell, Hope House's appeals manager, said: "We find that families do anything they can to support the work we do so it's great that Frankie's parents have given their permission for us to use the photo."

Hope House opened in September 1995 and has to raise �1.5m each year to keep the hospice open.

The charity plans to open another hospice at the former Conwy Valley Nurseries site next year.

A target of �2m has been set for building and furnishing the new centre.