Brave 17-month-old girl can't stop smiling - despite being born with no nose

Brave 17-month Tessa Evans always has a smile on her face - despite being born with no nose.

The youngster was born with a rare condition, known as complete congenital arhinia, which means the nose did not develop in the womb.

Her condition is so rare that it's estimated that Tessa is one in 100 million.

Tessa, from County Derry, has no sense of smell, has no sinuses but she can cough, sneeze and catch a cold, and despite her difficulties, she always wears a smile.

Proud mum, Gráinne Evans, 30, said: 'At first I just couldn't understand it, I didn't even know it was possible.
 
'How did my little girl not have a nose? Was she going to live? Would anyone be able to help her?
 
'But ever since we got her home she's grown every day, smiled more and shone brighter, and the more she shines the more her differences fade into the background.
 
'Tessa is so petite but she's the most determined little girl I know, she  adores her big brother and sister, copies everything they do and despite her 'disabilities' is already a typical, fearless toddler who climbs the furniture and loves to dance.
 
'Everyone who meets her instantly falls in love with her, we just want  her  to inspire other people like she inspires us.'
 
Gráinne, who chose to have a natural water birth, had no idea that her daughter would be born without a nose until she lifted her new-born out of the birth pool for the first time.
 
Weeks after giving birth to her extraordinary daughter, Gráinne discovered a horrifying journal online which stated that babies born like Tessa had poor mental and physical development and implied parents should be given the option to terminate their pregnancy.