A YOUNG woman on borrowed time waiting for a double lung transplant is pleading for people to join the Organ Donor Register to give the gift of life this Christmas.

Victoria Tremlett, known as Tor, from Romford, is fighting the progressive degenerative disease cystic fibrosis and, faced with the prospect of seeing possibly her last ever Christmas, she has decided to use her plight to motivate others to sign the register.

Tor’s Christmas wish is to inspire 5,000 people to sign up by January 1.

The 23-year-old, of Heath Park Road, was told she had just 18 months to live when she was put on the transplant waiting list.

Now, three-and-a-half years on and three agonising false alarms for organ matches later, she is still waiting for that call which could save her life – telling her an organ is available.

Tor, an ambassador for national organ donation charity Live Life then Give Life, said: “I use oxygen 24/7 to support my failing lungs, a wheelchair to leave the house, the majority of my day is dedicated to medical treatment just to try and keep me stable.”

The smallest tasks, like getting dressed, combing her hair and brushing her teeth, leave Tor exhausted and her mum has to help with everything.

“My Christmas wish would ultimately be to get the transplant I so desperately need, but due to the shortage of donors, this may not happen. Without a transplant this could be my last Christmas, and so this December I want to get at least 5,000 people to sign the Organ Donor Register in the hope of saving lives,” Tor said.

She added: “Fifty per cent of people waiting for lungs will die because not enough people have signed up to donate after their death.

“Each of us has the power to change this statistic. I don’t know if my call will come but by signing up you will create chances for so many people.”

Celebrities already supporting Tor’s campaign on Twitter include Dragons’ Den stars Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones, Gordon Brown’s wife Sarah Brown and TV presenter Philip Schofield.

Emily Thackray, chairman of Live Life then Give Life said: “A lot of people just never get round to signing the Organ Donor Register, but it’s something that could affect any one of us.

“In fact, statistically, you are more likely to need a transplant than ever to become a donor. Victoria is in desperate need of her transplant and for her to use her plight to help others is just inspiring.”

You can sign the organ donor register online at http://tinyurl.com/torsxmaswish. You can find the twitter campaign by searching the hashtag #torsxmaswish.