LOS ANGELES — Dorothy Frank sat in a chair in her Airbnb, a makeup brush gracefully sweeping across her skin and a curling iron going through her hair as she smiled at her granddaughter.

At 97, Miss Dorothy was getting a makeover — not just for the day, but for a new chapter in her life. She has earned it.

On Jan. 7, the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, consuming the home where Frank built a life filled with love, laughter, and countless memories. 

But if you ask her about it, she won’t talk about loss. She’ll talk about the blessings she’s had along the way. She’ll talk about the tea parties and pool days with her grandchildren. She’ll talk about gratitude.

Originally from New Orleans, Frank got the nickname ‘Louisiana Hot Sauce’ when she moved to California as a youngster. Though she disliked it at first, her fiery spirit and good nature made it an apt nickname. She and her husband built a life in the Golden State. 

“I just felt like I was close to heaven,” Frank said, reminiscing about the year she and her husband moved to Altadena in 1972.

She still remembers the mountains stretching endlessly, the kindness of her neighbors, and the joy of raising children and grandchildren in a house that felt like home.

“I had a swimming pool and a big yard,” she said. “The kids would come over every day. It was just like Disneyland.”

Then, in an instant, it was gone. 

The fire left only ashes where her home once stood. Frank herself never thought the situation would become so dire, the sheriff eventually carrying her out in the early hours of the morning with nothing but the clothes on her back and a few pictures of her late husband. Yet when her family took Frank back to the site, her reaction surprised everyone — including herself.

“The house is gone, but I’m here. Thank you, Father,” Frank said with a smile, in a video taken in the days after the fire. 

That moment — her warmth, her resilience — was caught on video and quickly went viral. And for her granddaughter, Nicole Carney, it was just another example of what makes Miss Dorothy special.

“She kind of always has that little way of stealing people’s hearts,” Carney said.

Carney, who owns the catering company Rosegold Plates, inherited her love for cooking from Miss Dorothy, infusing her grandmother’s Louisiana roots.  But she’s also carrying on something even greater: a commitment to the community.  

After seeing her beloved hometown in ruins, Carney co-founded Project Rebuild Altadena, an initiative dedicated to ensuring that the city remains in the hands of the people who built it.

“It felt like a bad dream,” Carney said. “You always see this kind of stuff, but you never imagine that it’s gonna happen in your city, your family, your friends.”

In the wake of the fire, hairstylist Darshell Hannah, founder of local non-profit Charlee’s Angels and make-up artist Cortney Renee, owner of Brows and Coco, stepped up, offering a makeover for Miss Dorothy — not just to lift her spirits, but also to remind her that her community still surrounds her.  

They bustled around her, laughing at her stories and vivacious outbursts, both confessing their complete admiration for the 97-year-old before them. And if the internet has anything to say about it, she’s everyone’s favorite grandma now.

Then the moment came for Frank to see her new look. With the team helping her to the mirror, Frank’s face lit up with the first glimpse. 

“I don’t feel like an old lady. Hello!” she said, striking a pose. Then, with her signature twinkle, she added: “I feel sexy!”

She emerged from the mirrors to find flowers and gifts — including a new pink sweatsuit, which made her whoop and cheer. 

Frank may have lost her home, but not her heart, humor or hope.

“It’s been a beautiful life,” she said. “God has blessed me.”

And Altadena, through all its hardship, still stands — strong, determined and, just like Frank, resilient.