her face was severely burned in a car
accident six years ago but now a young
woman from Miami is getting help from an
unlikely source a former CIA specialist
outside of Washington DC and the story
takes a surprising twist we introduced
you to Samantha Diaz who is truly a 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 parent specialty making
sophisticated disguises for agents
overseas
to stuff out of spy novels their lives
depend upon the realism of that disguise
but after working in a world of
espionage Baran realized he could use
his skills to help everyday people like
Samantha that's it 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 them
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
like always up and Samantha she's
getting used to the prosthetics but she
loves her own face it's a lesson
encouraged I love myself and how I
looked without the nose without the eye
without the year that is me that is who
I am
this does not make me she sees herself
as 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 I feel beautiful
Janine Stanwood local 10 News was in the
foster care system she still has a
loving relationship with her family and
she says she plans to write a book so
she can tell her own story about her
life she is such an inspiration you know
self-love comes from the inside that's
where the beauty is that's where the
magic is when you love yourself inside
then it projects to the world that is my
favorite story ever amazing