was severely burned in a car accident
six years ago but now a young woman from
Miami is getting help to an unlikely
source a former CIA specialist outside
of Washington DC and this story takes a
surprising twist and tonight we
introduce you to Samantha Davis here who
is truly the face of courage our Janine
Stanwood reports
Samantha's story is a story of
transformation of rebirth she's got a
fierce spirit and an infectious laugh
volunteering with kids in Liberty City
every week they looked at me as any
other person but Samantha Diaz wouldn't
be here today had it not been for a
crash that almost killed her that
changed everything now with the help of
an unlikely ally her face is about to
change to December 29th 2012 samantha
was just 14 when the car she was in
crashed in Northwest miami-dade bursting
into flames
we're told that crash was brutal she
says she doesn't remember a thing
Samantha suffered third-degree burns on
her body and face lost part of her right
arm and she would undergo 150 painful
surgeries enduring awful cruelty from
perfect strangers people will be staring
at her life wasn't easy mom had a tough
time taking care of her at 15 she
entered foster care she was running away
because she wasn't feeling comfortable
in the foster homes that they were
putting her in and she was being bullied
Oh Nelson ANCA pa runs voices for
children a foundation that helps kids in
the system one of the things I asked her
you know
what do you want to do one thing Sam
wanted he says was a face to match the
confidence she was starting to feel
inside Samantha did the research herself
that led her to a town outside
Washington DC and a former disguised
artist from the Central Intelligence
Agency named Robert Barron I was in the
CIA for 24 years
Barun specialty making sophisticated
disguises for agents overseas the stuff
out of spy novels
their lives depend upon the realism of
that disguise but after working in a
world of espionage Barron realized he
could use his skills to help everyday
people like Samantha I said Bob if you
can put people in hiding then you can
bring people out of hiding so for the
first time inside barons office Samantha
is getting a new ear created with soft
silicone and painted for the perfect
match Samantha's also being fitted with
a new nose and an eye complete with some
added eye makeup
and after some finishing touches she
finally gets to see her new face when I
have these on I'm a notice some people
may look at my arm but nobody really
looks at my face like they don't notice
me but here's where the story takes a
complicated and beautiful turn now that
she's back in Miami Samantha isn't yet
wearing those new prosthetics everywhere
have you seen No
turns out the kids love her just the way
she is and Samantha she loves the new
nose but she loves her own face too it's
a lesson encouraged I love myself and
how I looked without the nose without
the eye and without the year that is me
that is Who I am
this does not make me she sees herself
that's a beautiful woman after the
accident it talks to us to all of us
about the real beauty inside of each one
of us I look at myself not beautiful
Janine Stanwood local 10 News and so do
we
thanks to donations the voices for
children the prosthetics were free of
charge for Samantha and by the way she
says she plans to write a book so she
can tell her own story about her life I
thought you Dean did a good job but I
can't wait to hear and see what she says
amazing and you Nelson incopy ain't
voices for children that's the guardian
ad litem program from all these kids
were in the foster care system imagine
her parents her mother they're just
abandoning her because of all this but
that program does so much to get these
kids a voice and to get them through the
legal system and get them on their feet
for them - Samantha and Robert they are
tied together forever so if you want to
know more about Samantha Diaz head to
our website which is always local 10.com