Meet: the girl born without a nose (with pictures)

Tessa Evans loves running around, playing outside and blowing kisses.

But unlike any other children, she suffers from an extremely rare condition which means she has no nose.

The 17-month-old has complete congenital arhinia, which is so rare there are only around 40 cases reported in medical literature.

The condition means Tessa has no sense of smell and no sinuses but she can cough, sneeze and catch a cold.

And despite her difficulties, she always has a smile on her face, her mother Gráinne says.

Recalling the birth, Mrs Evans said: 'As soon as I saw her face I knew something was wrong.

'I was in shock and I just froze. The midwife cut the cord before I could even say anything and whisked her away from me.'

Tessa's condition was detected during the 20-week scan which showed an abnormally flat facial profile.

Her mother and father - Nathan, 32, a nightclub manager - were told to prepare to make difficult decisions but the follow up 3D scan and tests revealed Tessa was perfectly healthy and everything was normal.

But the birth was extremely traumatic. 'Doctors were able to stabilize her so she could breathe on her own and eventually I was allowed to hold her for a few seconds,' recalls Mrs Evans.