Little Girl Without a Nose Spreads Awareness
Tessa Evans was born without nose, a very rare facial anomaly called 'arhinia'. The little girl, who is now 18-months-old, has helped in spreading awareness about her condition across the globe.
Tessa Evans has a very rare congenital facial anomaly called arhinia. Less than 50 cases have been detected in the globe in recent times. Since very little was known about this anomaly called arhinia, her family have been trying hard to spread awareness among people.
Tessa's parents, Grainne and Nathan Evans, from Maghera in Co Londonderry, were shell shocked when they found an article on the internet by a well known surgeon, who recommended that unborn babies with arhinia should not be brought into the world. "The main goal was always to raise awareness so that the next family with a baby like Tessa isn't left completely in the dark like we were. So we decided to go ahead and reach a wider audience," said Grainne.
Tessa Evans will soon undergo a surgery in Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, for a nose. Though the NHS will pay for the surgery and the treatment, the family is still in need for money. "We are constantly on the lookout for things that could improve her. One thing, for example, that we are trying to provide for her are air filters for the house. She doesn't have any way of filtering air like a normal person. I would really like the air quality to be as good as it can," said Tessa's mother.
Tessa has been receiving love and donations from people across the globe. Grainne, who wants to give the best to her little bundle of joy, wrote in a blog, "We hope that, by asking people to donate to this fund, we can continue to seek out the best medical care without worrying about sinking into debt. Please if you can, consider donating so that we can make her life as full of happiness as she deserves it to be. There will be many more operations in Tessa's future, many more disruptions to family life and our little daughter must learn to face the world and it's people with confidence and inner strength. We have so much love for her but also so much worry and fear about what the world has in store for her and how she will be treated in it. By donating you will be helping to ensure that money is not an additional stress in our lives and we can concentrate on providing Tessa and her sister and brother (3 and 4 years old) as much normality as possible."
The story of Tessa Evans and her infectious smile is being talked about in social circuits as well. Sharing her feelings, Grainne said, "She just means so much to us and to see that beautiful little smile of hers poppng up in different places, and to have people sharing the story."
Visit Tessa Evan's Website to read her story and donate.