A mother from Derry has spoken publicly about the emotional journey of raising her four-year-old daughter, Tessa, who was born without nasal passages or sinus cavities—a rare congenital condition identified during pregnancy.

Tessa’s mother, Grainne, first learned about the condition during a routine 20-week scan. What was expected to be a standard appointment quickly became life-changing. Doctors explained that the baby had a severe facial anomaly and discussed possible medical options at the time. Grainne later shared that the news left her overwhelmed with fear and self-blame.

“You feel guilty. You feel like you have caused this,” she said during a recent radio interview. “Even when you know it’s not your fault, that feeling is still there.”

When Tessa was born, Grainne was already caring for two young children at home. She described the early days as emotionally complex, marked by love, worry, and a sense of loss for the future she had imagined. “You grieve the child that you thought you were going to have,” she explained, while also learning to embrace the child she did have.

Despite being born without a nose, Tessa continues to surprise people with her resilience. Although she cannot smell, her mother notes that she still experiences common childhood illnesses and reactions. “She can catch a cold, she can sneeze, and she laughs just like any other child,” Grainne said. “In every way that matters, she’s just Tessa.”

Her father also spoke about their decision to continue the pregnancy after learning of the condition. “We were told about the challenges ahead, but we never doubted that she deserved every chance,” he said. “She’s our daughter first, not a diagnosis.”

Since birth, Tessa has undergone ongoing medical monitoring and specialist care. Her parents say they continue to advocate for her health while focusing on giving her as normal and joyful a childhood as possible. According to the family, Tessa attends activities, plays with her siblings, and shows a confident personality that often disarms those meeting her for the first time.

Grainne hopes that sharing their story will help other parents facing unexpected diagnoses feel less alone. “Children don’t see themselves as different until the world tells them they are,” she said. “Our job is to protect her sense of worth and remind her every day that she is enough.”

For her family, she is not defined by what she lacks, but by who she is—a lively, determined child growing up surrounded by care and love.