WITH just 10 shopping days left until Christmas the race is on to make those final purchases and give a loved one the gift they really deserve this festive season.

But the only gift the 51 people in Oxfordshire waiting for an organ donation this Christmas want is the gift of life.

With less than half the people in the county signed up to the organ donation register that gift may never come, but by signing up to be a donor you can make their wishes come true.

In the past the Oxford Mail has supported campaigns calling for more people to join the register and we have been overwhelmed by the response.

We hope there is no better time to support this great cause than the time of year when we are all at our most generous.

Unlike the chaotic experience that can be Christmas shopping, signing up to become an organ donor takes just a couple of minutes online and is completely free.

And although we all want the most sought-after gifts this month, be it drones, loom bands or smart watches, we should not forget that giving the gift of life is a completely selfless act.

When we gather around the table on Christmas Day to share our turkey, Christmas pudding and bad jokes with our loved ones, we should spare a moment to think of the others who are lying in hospital beds waiting for an organ.

They cannot spend the most wonderful time of year with their loved ones and they do not even know if this Christmas will be their last.

By signing up as an organ donor you can make sure they will at least have a chance of spending next Christmas morning opening presents and remembering how your generosity gave them the greatest gift of all.