'Extraordinary' Tessa 'buzzing' ahead of appearance on the Late Late Toy Show

While the ‘extraordinary’ young girl’s exact role is being kept a closely-guarded secret ahead of the big event, her delighted mammy Grainne told the Journal how her daughter has been rehearsing hard and is ‘buzzing’ for her big role.

She added how Tessa’s appearance on the show will also be an ‘emotional’ one for all the family, as the young girl has such a ‘tough start in life’.

Tessa was born with a rare genetic condition, known as arhinia, meaning she was born without a nose.

It one of the rarest conditions in the world and Tessa is the only person in Ireland with the condition.

The family started a support group and a Facebook page called ‘Tessa: Born Extraordinary,’ which shares Tessa’s journey and life. The family has also got in touch with around 40 other families from around the world and through this, was able to get enough participants for genetic studies and the classification of the condition.

Five days after the Toy Show, Tessa will receive her 20th general aneasthetic at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Grainne outlined how Tessa’s journey to the show began from a suggestion from her teacher Muinteoir Laurene at Bunscoil Naomh Brid, Tirkane.

"She said to me that she really thought we should send in an application. It has never occurred to me, but she said she thought Tessa would be brilliant. I sent them a simple wee video of her in her bedroom, chatting about her favourite toys and I then got a call to say they wanted her to go down to auditions in Dublin.

“We met Patrick Kielty on the day, on the way out of the building, which was a real treat.

"When it was time for the audition, they said her name, she stood up, gathered up and her toys and went in, without even looking back at me. It was such a moment for me, as she had such a tough start in life, to see her stand up and walk into these strangers in the room, by herself. We could hear the giggles and laughs of her from outside. We then later were told they wanted her to be part of the show.”

Grainne videoed Tessa’s amazing reaction to the news and said the excitement has only increased as the show gets closer. They have also been filling in daddy Nathan, who is Canadian, about the national institution that is the show.

The family is also delighted that Tessa is getting to appear on Patrick Kielty’s very first Toy Show, of which details are being kept firmly under wraps.

"We can say that she’s not doing a toy review and is part of a performance. The kids are all so buzzing about the fact it’s top secret.

There has also been a fantastic reaction from the local community and ‘town is just buzzing’.

"She’s quite famous here, because of the Facebook page etc, but generally, the news is normally about more surgeries. It’s so lovely to have news that isn’t about that and is just sheer joy.”

The Late Late Toy Show airs on Friday at 9:35pm on RTÉ One & RTÉ Player.