Heart op means Christmas in hospital for Robbie's mum
The alcohol abuse counsellor went under the knife yesterday after she was diagnosed with a diseased artery.
Daughter Sally Williams, who lives in Keele, said the condition would have been life-threatening if it had not been discovered, but said Jan is now making a good recovery.
She will not leave her hospital bed before Christmas, but Sally said she will still be spending lots of time with her family over the festive period.
However, it is understood former Take That singer Robbie is not returning to the region, contrary to reports.
Sally said: "The diseasing on the artery was life-threatening if it wasn't discovered. It was very fortunate that they found it when they did.
"But it has gone absolutely superbly. I have spoken to her this morning and she is making an excellent recovery.
"She will be in hospital over Christmas but we will be going to see her every day.
"We will be taking Christmas to the hospital.
"You have to step up to the plate at times like this. It isn't a crisis or a drama, it is just something you have to deal with."
Jan, who was a judge at The Sentinel's Our Heroes awards in September, first discovered she had the condition on Thursday after admitting herself into a private hospital in Cheshire because of chest pains.
The Salvation Army fund-raiser is believed to be the inspiration behind Robbie's hit song Angels, which sold two million copies when it was released in 1997.
Sally said her mum was dealing with the condition without panic and the early signs suggest she is recuperating well.
She said: "She went in for some tests because she was having a bit of discomfort. She was thinking it might have been a bit of angina.
"They discovered that she had a problem with one of the arteries in her heart and they thought it was a good opportunity to operate because she was in such good condition."
She added: "It was very much a shock. They found the problem on Thursday and operated on Sunday, but she is doing incredibly well.
"They don't know when she will be out of hospital but they know she is planning to get home as soon as possible."
Alan Lea, area co-ordinator of heart surgery body the North Staffordshire Zipper Club, said the success rate of heart bypass operations was improving.
Mr Lea, who visits wards to reassure people having surgery along with other volunteers, said: "No two individuals are the same but after the surgery it is a case of doing a little bit at a time and it generally takes about six weeks to get back to full fitness.
"Heart disease is still one of the biggest killers in the country. Those numbers never go down.
"But surgeons are highly-skilled people and their success rate is absolutely tremendous."
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