It's every mother's worst nightmare.

Offaly mum Helen Lynch was informed by doctors last week that her eight-year-old son Charlie will not survive without a new liver. Charlie, from Tullamore, was born with billary atresia, a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts, and has been in and out of hospital throughout his life. While Helen is a donor match for her son, sadly the part of her liver Charlie needs is lacking in size, which means Charlie would only receive 20% of what he needs, giving him a lesser chance of survival. The family, including Charlie's older brother Daniel, are praying an angel in disguise will volunteer to save their little boy in the nick of time.   Posting on the family's GoFundMe page, Helen said: "This is my last hope to save my child and let him have the life he deserves. Please continue to support us in this horrible time and keep us in your prayers x." Because the liver regenerates itself, the donor in this case can go on to lead a perfectly healthy life afterwards. Thinking of volunteering to be tested? Here's what you need to know:

• A living donor doesn't have to be a blood relative, but must have a compatible blood type (In Charlie's case, blood type O)
• While the procedure is not without risks, the liver begins to regenerate itself almost immediately. Within eight weeks, both the donor's and the recipient's livers will be almost completely regenerated.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise funds for the donor's travel and living expenses while they undergo the surgery that could potentially save Charlie's life and you can sign up for a Donor Card here.