AN ANGUISHED mother today called on people across East Lancashire to become organ donors - and give her son a chance to live.

Brave Connor Hurst, five, was born with his bowel on the outside of his body and is on a waiting list for a liver and bowel transplant.

The bright little youngster has undergone dozens of operations to ensure he gets the nutrients and fats he needs to stay alive.

He hopes to become one of only 25 people to have the pioneering operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital -- the only paediatric transplant centre in the country.

Mum and dad, Dawn Birtwistle, 25, and Martin Hurst, 24, of Hindle Street, Stacksteads, are praying for a suitable donor.

Dawn, 25, said: "He gets very frightened before he goes into theatre and cries, which is hard for us to cope with but we have to be strong for Connor's sake."

Connor, who has spent many months in Burnley General Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital is now enjoying being a pupil at Holy Trinity Primary School, Booth Road, Stacksteads.

He has been on the waiting list for two weeks, but his mum says it could be months or years before a donor is found.

She added: "We hope that Connor's story will encourage more people to think about organ donation as it could mean that he and other people get the normal life they deserve. Connor is really well at the moment because he has had a new central line fitted which feeds him the nutrients he needs.

"He is running out of places for the line to be fitted as he has had 25 operations."

There have been 25 liver and bowel transplants completed in this country with 19 survivors.

Dawn added: "The statistics are quite positive but which taught him about the human body and its organs.

"The hardest thing will be to see him go into theatre knowing that he's fit and well but will then come out very poorly.

"But Connor's a little fighter and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that he'll be able to have the operation and come through it OK."

Doctors told Connor's parents when he was born six weeks early that he probably wouldn't make it through the night.

But despite all the odds young Connor is now looking forward to his sixth birthday on Tuesday.

And now kind-hearted family friend Angela Collier has registered with Rossendale Borough Council to launch a fundraising campaign in his name.

Angela, owner of Gemma's beauty and sunbed shop in Stacksteads, wants to raise enough to send Connor and his parents to Florida.

She said: "He has been through so much in his short life that we wanted to do something to help compensate in a small way for what he's been through. We have a number of events planned."

There are more than 5,900 people in the UK waiting for an organ transplant.

Around 16 per cent of the population in the North West are registered donors, falling two per cent short of the national average.

Peter Sas, spokesman for NHS Transplant UK, said: "We are trying to boost the number of donors."

For more information or to register, contact 0845 6060400 or visit www.uktransplant.org.uk