The girl who was born without a nose, Tessa Evans, was born on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Every day, her family and people all over the world love and praise her.
Less than 100 people in the world have the same condition as Tessa. Her mother praises her “charming” attitude and “infallible courage.”
Tessa is strong and living her best life eight years after being the first person to get nasal implants. She won’t let her situation stop her “from doing anything.”
People Grainne and Nathan Evans were shocked when their Valentine’s Day baby was born without a nose. Their pregnancy had been normal, and there were no signs of any problems.
Tessa is from Maghera, Ireland, and she was born without a nose because she has Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome (BAMS).
The National Institutes of Health says that there have been less than 100 cases of this condition ever recorded in medical history.
It’s also hard to fix because the disease is so uncommon.
For Tessa, it means she can’t smell or breathe through her nose, but she can still cough, sneeze, and get a cold.
“It was funny the very first time she sneezed, but we actually found out that it actually comes from your chest,” said her dad, Nathan. “However, having that wee bit of normality was quite nice.”
Tessa had a hard time in her first few weeks of life. She was in intensive care for five weeks.
When she was less than two weeks old, she had surgery to add a tracheostomy tube to her mouth, which made it possible for her to eat and sleep normally.
Tessa was the first person ever to have a cosmetic nasal implant put in to help make up the lost limb. She was only two years old.
People who need a nose prosthesis usually get it done when they are teenagers, when their faces have stopped growing.
Her parents said they had the surgery when she was young so that she wouldn’t have to have any more invasive ones in the future.
“It was an incredibly difficult decision for all of us, we love Tessa so much and thought she was completely beautiful the way she was,” Grainne said. “We ultimately decided to go ahead as it was a chance to gradually change her appearance over the years and to normalise her profile without ever cutting her face.”
When Tessa turns 13, the surgery on her face will finally be over, and Grainne talks about the long process: “They say once they have the final, nuanced nose in place that they will then get a medical tattoo artist to tattoo in light and shade to make the more detailed contours of her nose.” She added, “They can then dimple in the nostrils and shade them to look real.”
“It was very stressful though, as I had never spent a night apart from Tessa, and it was quite soul-destroying to leave her side each evening at 11 p.m.” Grianne continued, “I was comforted by the fact I was a phone call away and could be there in just a few minutes. Whatever happened, I would be by her side when she woke up the next day. And that was a gift.”
Over the years, the donation process hasn’t been easy. One implant had to be taken out. But Tessa, who is now 10, stays strong and happy.
“I really can’t wait for a new nose, it’s going to make me really happy. My BAMs syndrome will not stop me from doing anything,” Tessa said two years ago. “It’s disappointing that I can’t smell the good smells but it’s awesome that I can’t smell the bad smells,” the sweet girls adds with a giggle.
Grainne says that Tessa’s energy is getting better now that she is bigger.
“Every day she inspires me with her zest for life and infallible courage. When she saw her new nose for the first time in a lift when we were in London, she looked at me with a huge smile on her face and said, ‘Mummy, I love my new nose.’”