A mum and dad who are watching their daughter slowly deteriorate in a hospital bed have spoken of their turmoil as they desperately wait for a heart donor to be found.

Georgina Powell, 15, developed a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy as a baby.

Doctors didn't expect her to live past childhood but she surprised them all by battling on.

However, she is now facing death as her heart - which is functioning at just 16 per cent - struggles to keep her alive.

She entered the intensive care unit at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital today and is receiving three different drugs intravenously.

Dad Gary Powell said: "This is such hard work. She's my daughter and I am powerless to help her.

"I urge people to sign the national donor register, we are desperate for people to help."

Mr Powell, 46, must leave his daughter's bedside this Friday (July 30) to return to his home town of Barrow upon Furness, Cumbria in order to work.

He said: "I am spending money on travel and I need to keep going so that I can support the family."

Georgina's mother Sandra, 49, will continue to stay at the hospital with her daughter while her dad is away.

She said: "A machine is giving her drugs to support her heart.

"At the moment it is too weak to support itself.

"Every single day is a nightmare because time is crucial, each day that we wait the more difficult it becomes.

"I desperately hope that the transplant will come sooner rather than later.

"I have heard about children dying on waiting lists."

Georgina, who is a twin to sister Samantha, is originally from Barrow, Cumbria, but recently moved to Heysham, Lancashire, with her mother.

The teenager, who wants to be a nurse, celebrated her 15th birthday in a restaurant at the seaside resort of Morecambe in April.

She loves her pony Coco Pops and is described by her dad as 'very, very clever'.

Like any teenager she enjoys chatting to her friends on facebook and dreams of travelling the world after she has sat her GSCEs.

Sharon added: "The quality of life she once had is completely gone now.

"She is struggling so much and can't get out of bed without running short of breath.

"It is absolutely heartbreaking for a mother to watch.

"This is every parent's worst nightmare. The transplant is a last resort.

She can’t survive without getting a new heart.

"You never think you are going to be in this situation as a parent. I can’t imagine what it would feel like if we lost her. I can’t imagine my life without her.

"It is awful because someone else’s son or daughter has to pay the ultimate price.

"I know how difficult it must be to put your child’s organs up for transplant but we would like people to consider it."

The teenager, who also has two older sisters Nikki, 30 and Zoe, 27, is continually visited by her family.

Gary said: "She is extremely positive and has been talking about what she wants to do in the future.

"She has spent most of the last five weeks in Alder Hey Hospital on the high dependency unit with heart failure.

"She began to show small improvement but is now slowly deteriorating in Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.

"She is in need of a heart transplant and is on the urgent list. A transplant is her last hope.

"Unfortunately due to the issues with Alder Hey a couple of years ago with organ retention there was a drop off in donors."