Dr. 90210 Helps A Valley Crash Victim
 By Margot Kim

The 50-year old finance manager, who used to live life on the go, had to slow down after the crash on May 20th, 2006.

For 21 days, Irene stayed at Fresno's former trauma center, University Medical Center, as surgeons pieced her back together.

The bones in her face were shattered into little pieces. Her wrists were damaged and her ankle had to be held together with screws. Doctors told her she might not walk or even sit up again. But it was her face that told people her story without ever uttering a word.

Every day you look in the mirror and it's a reminder of what happened that day. "People, it's the first thing they notice, your face. That's the way society is, it's hard" says Irene.

Irene lost the vision in one eye but not her sense of humor. Her family and friends made funny eye patches to wear while her socket was healing. And her fiancee, Brian Fulcher made a chart she could point to, when she needed help while she couldn't speak. Her sister made this square to tell Brian when he was hovering a little too much.

But Brian made sure to tell her the one thing she needed to hear over and over. "I love what's inside of her and I tell her everyday that I still think she's beautiful and how much I love her" says Fulcher.

With the emotional support of Brian, her children and friends, Irene researched the medical experts who could fix the outside. Then she turned on the t-v.

The cable cosmetic surgery show, Dr. 90210 featured two doctors Irene had to meet. So she and Brian went to Beverly Hills where the surgeons took on her challenging reconstruction.

Beverly Hills is known for beautiful people and places. Both in real life and in the movies, this hotel is where pretty woman was filmed and just blocks away from here two plastic surgeons are helping Irene Waltz become more than just a pretty woman again. They're helping her move past the moment she was almost killed.

Guy Massry, M.D. Ophthalmic surgeon, says "removing an eye, fixing all the bones around the eye to make it look normal is a real tricky thing to do."

Dr. Guy Massry works on rebuilding Irene's right eye socket using a technique he developed that maintains the white part and the eye movement even when most of it is destroyed.

In the same office, Dr. Paul Nassif works on fixing Irene's nose, to let her breathe easier while improving its crooked appearance.

Paul Nassif, M.D. Reconstructive surgeon, says "hopefully this will be one of the last things so she can move on with her life and forget about it."

We are given rare access to the operating room as the surgeries take place in one afternoon but weeks of recovery follow.

Meantime, another specialist in Los Angeles is helping Irene heal. Steven Haddad makes prosthetic eyes. He's one of only 100 Ocularists who combine medical science with an artistic touch.

First, Haddad makes a mold of the space in Irene's eye socket. After it's set, he shapes it to fit her exactly. Then, he hand-paints the prosthetic eye, even tiny blood vessels are added to make the created eye look natural and match her other eye.

The moment Irene is fitted with the prosthetic it literally changes the way she sees herself. "Once it settles in, I can do a little more for you and it will look a little more natural in about 2-3 months when it settles back slightly" says Haddad.

Nearly one year after the accident, Irene says she looks more like herself. "It was really hard to imagine it would look this good. They did a remarkable job" says Irene.

But she's not the same person inside. She says she's stronger, more determined and more thankful. "The key is not to lose hope. Don't give up on your faith and to know that the next day is going to be just as hard but to just keep going. Life is full of so much and it's wonderful to be alive" says Irene.

Irene Waltz still has many more surgeries to undergo.

She and Brian were planning their wedding before the accident. Irene says she wants to get as close to fully recovered as she can before walking down the aisle.