Little Stephen Carr faces a race against time for a double-transplant operation to save his life after being diagnosed with a rare disease.

Doctors have just diagnosed the 22-month-old with primary hyperoxaluria, a life-threatening condition that affects one in 120,000 children.

Now Stephen's parents have been told their son must have a liver and kidney transplant if he has any chance of survival.

Mother Kerry, 28, said: "I just feel numb. It hasn't really sunk in properly yet. If he doesn't get on the transplant list and have these operations he will die."

While it has already halted Stephen's growth, the condition, caused by a missing liver enzyme, could damage the toddler's heart, bone marrow and eyes.

During the night, he is connected to a machine near his bedside at the family home in Newcastle. By day, he is free of the machine but relies on his mother to feed him special milk.

His father, also named Stephen, said: "There are tests being carried out in London at the minute, but they are taking forever and we don't have much time."

The couple have three other children, John, 12, Chanise, ten, and Chantelle, five.

A shortage of organ donors in the region means patients like Stephen, desperately in need of a transplant, are dying.

People wanting to sign-up are asked to call the Organ Donor Line on 0845 606060.