LOSING your mum to cancer aged just four years old is tragic enough.

But then a year later little Iona Hay was diagnosed with the disease herself –and had to have her leg amputated.

And both devastating events took place at Christmas. So it’s no wonder Iona’s family thought the youngster should win the Evening Times’ Breakfast with Santa competition run with toystore Hamleys.

They wanted to make sure this year she remembers the magical time for all the right reasons.

And Evening Times bosses agreed Iona, 6, who has just finished a year of chemotherapy, was the most deserving winner of the dozens of entries we received.

She enjoyed a VIP tour of the new Hamleys at the St Enoch Centre before having a special festive breakfast with Santa and his elves plus the Hamleys bear.

Iona, who has a twin, Niamh was nominated by her uncle, Martin Hay, 35, from Giffnock.

He said: “We would love for her and her friends to remember Christmas this year for more magical and childlike reasons.”

Iona took along Niamh and brother Peadar, 8, plus three friends Katie Currie, 6, Libbie Curry and Abbie Leanord, 6 for the breakfast.

The little girl, who also has an older brother Hamish, 12, also got to spend £75 in the store and took home Fur Real Friends dog Biscuit, a must-have interactive toy which sits on command and wags its tail.

Dad Steven, 38, said: “It was almost like an end-of-treatment present – it was great to see her and her wee friends having fun.”

It’s almost a year Iona was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.

After suffering from a pain in her right leg Steven took Iona to their GP who sent them to Yorkhill Sick Kids Hospital. Tests revealed the devastating diagnosis on December 28 last year.

The family was later told Iona would need to have the leg amputated from below the knee to rid her of the cancer and the operation was carried out in March.

Steven, who works as an investment fund manager in Edinburgh said: “They were hoping to save the leg and take the tumour out but it was too big so amputation was the safest option.

“She’s been very positive all the way through. She’s a wee character. The doctors and nurses have been great, she’s obviously got a few siblings to keep her in place, and she has been in and out of school which has made a big difference.”

Iona has had a prosthetic leg since the surgery – and her dad says she’s “practically running”.

She must now only go back to Yorkhill every three months for check-ups.

Then the Jordanhill Primary pupil broke her other leg a few weeks ago after tripping on a balloon and is now in a wheelchair.

But when it’s healed there’s just one thing she can’t wait to do.

Iona’s been having classes at Shona Campbell School of Dancing in Knightswood for the past few years and she can’t wait to put on her ballet shoes again.

Steven said: “She’s desperate to get back to dancing and there’s no reason why not.”

Steven says Iona is in remission but she won’t get the all-clear for five years.

It’s been a tough time for the family. Steven’s wife, Dr Fiona Dolan an opthalmologist at Gartnavel Hospital, died, aged just 36, on December 22 2007.

The mum had been diagnosed with a brain tumour that April and was treated at the Southern General Hospital and Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.

Steven said: “The kids keep us going. They were all great and involved to the end. We had a year of trying to get life back on track, then this happened with Iona.”

But she’s not the only one getting a treat this Christmas. The whole family will get together for a week-long break over New Year at Malcolm Sargent House in Prestwick, thanks to kids cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

And next year they plan to continue the work of the The Fiona Dolan Fund which they set up in memory of their beloved mum and wife.

It aims to send eye doctors to developing countries to do cataract operations and paid for a doctor to got to Ethopia to work earlier this year.