Fireworks can be dangerous for little kids
By mssnow
@mssnow (9484)
United States
July 2, 2007 5:16pm CST
When my youngest son Kevin was 4, He went out side to play. We had a nice fenced in yard and I checked on him now and then.I was doing something in my house when I heard a neighbor kid (he was about 17) Tell Kevin to come over to where they were at. I walked out side to find out why a teenager would want to talk to a four year old and next thing you know I heard a loud bang and kevin screaming and crying. I ran to him and the neighbor kid kept saying. I'm sorry it was an accident. I asked kevin what had happened and he pointed to his foot. I looked and he had a huge burn mark on his sock. I raced him inside and took off his shoe and sock an he had a burn mark on his skin. Kevin was crying and screaming. I had to comfort him. The neighbor kid came over and asked if Kevin was ok and i asked what hapened. He said Kevin got in the way of a firecracker. I was so upset about my baby being hurt I just wanted to get him to the hospital. At the hospital the doctor took one look at it and said. Someone placed a firecracker in your sons shoe. I said "WHAT???" In disbeleif. The doctor asked if there was pieces of paper from the firecrakcer in my sons shoe between his sock and his shoe. I thought about it and said "Yes, there was" I was so mad I wss crying. I Called my husband (at the time) How could anyone place a firecracker in an innocents childs shoe?? Anyways we called the police and they came out and talked the neighbor kid. Who vehematly denied it. He did say he would pay for Kevins medical bills tough. We couldnt press chargs because there were no witnessess except a four year old boy and 17 year old. But we did make him pay for Kevins medical. I still don't understand how a teenager could be so cruel to a young child.
Tell us your bad stories about fireworks. Im sure we all have at least one.
9 people like this
11 responses
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
2 Jul 07
Luckily he was ok, but what a nasty a$$hole to do that to a child, he must be brain whacked....(Angry). We are not allowed to have fireworks here in Australia unless you apply for a permit for them. There have been so many accidents and deaths from them.
3 people like this
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
2 Jul 07
What a horrible thing for your poor son to go through. I don't know what is wrong with kids these days...they do such stupid things. It's a good thing your son wasn't hurt badly.
Two years ago while at our local fireworks one of them malfunctioned and went off close to the ground. We had to dodge falling embers but all seemed ok. Then I noticed the infant in a stroller next to us that was crying....from the noise we thought...then I thought I saw smoke so said something to the mother... Sure enough one of the embers had landed at the top of his diaper and melted it to his skin...the poor baby...everyone thought it was the noise and the poor kid was on fire. He just had a small burn on his belly and the paramedics cleaned it and put a gauze pad on it...You never know what can happen when fireworks are involved.
3 people like this
@pinklilly (3443)
• Australia
2 Jul 07
oh That is horrible I would have been so angry with the Neighbour kid.... Here in Australia they are illigal and very hard to get your hands on although still possible mainly from asian grocery stores... I havn't had any bad experiences like that, but when I was a teenager my friends use to get them and set them off in the park, but it was usually when no one was around to see us...
3 people like this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
2 Jul 07
Oh would much rather hear good firework stories. I have been blessed and don't have any 'bad' stories but suppose the closest to bad was several years back I took my youngest son and a buddy of his to watch the fireworks. I thought I found an ok spot to watch but the boys (particularly my son) moaned and groaned about not being close enough.
Well, the next year I took the same two but we left about 3 hours before 'show time' - a whole 6 miles away :) Stopped at Subway and got sandwiches and drinks and headed to the park with a lawn blanket.
We got the closest spot possible to where they fired off the fireworks - we laid on the blanket looking up at the sky and the fireworks exploded over our heads. It was great - except for one thing. Do you know junk falls from the sky after they burn out? Yep and a bunch of it landed on us and the blanket. They weren't big pieces but it was enough that you knew when you got hit.
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
2 Jul 07
A good 5 or 6 years and he has never once complained about our viewing spot again :) guess I taught him a lesson :)
1 person likes this
@aprilgrl (4460)
• United States
2 Jul 07
That's horrible I'll be upset too! What was that kid thinking to do that to a four year old. Hope he learned his lesson (the neighbor kid) A four year old don't know what's to be expected and yet they do older kids say (poor Kevin) I am sure he still remember what happened on that day but he was just a child himself. Thanks for sharing your story. Happy fourth of july in a couple of days :-)
2 people like this
@mummymo (23706)
•
2 Jul 07
That is so cruel and malicious - I would have tried my best that some kind of note was made on his record in case he ever tried anything like that again! Poor Kevin! I have a fear of fireworks in the wrong hands - not necessarily causing intentional damage but causing damage through ignorance - fireworks are notoriously unpredictable! I feel strongly that fireworks should only be available for organised events to people who have been trained in using them!
When my nephew was a baby he had a very strict bedtime but on bonfire night my brother and sister knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for the noise of the fireworks and took him out for a nice long walk instead! It was past the time he was asleep in his cot every night when a neighbours firework veered off course and burst through his bedroom windo - it then landed right in his cot setting fire first to it and in turn to the whole room and indeed the house! It staggers me every time I think that but for chance my nephew would have been very seriously burnt if not killed by that stray firework that would maybe have given a handful of people a few minutes pleasure! Would it have been worth it? The answer is obvious as is the reason for me hating fireworks in the hands of the untrained and inexperienced! xxx
2 people like this
@mummymo (23706)
•
2 Jul 07
They sure were looking after him honey - it was a miracle! He is now 25 and fed up being called shrimp as he is only about 5 ft 10 " short for the guys in OUR family! lol I think a lot of the youngsters don't think anything bad will ever really happen - they think we are just out to spoil their fun! Hugs sis - hope you are feeling better - been worried about you! xxx
2 people like this
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
2 Jul 07
Im doing bettr although I had to go to the emergency room yesterday because my pain was unbearable. They dont know what is wrong with me. I dont have an infection anymor and they cheked for stones and cant find any. They gave me a prescription for pain and said if my symptoms get worse to come back.But today I seem to be ok. Hugs back at ya sis.
2 people like this
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
3 Jul 07
You just can't stress fireworks safety enough with kids. Several years back there was a family who lived a few blocks from us. Our son knew their son from school. Anyway, on the 4th they had a lot of fireworks (even though they're illegal in Iowa). The youngest boy (my son's friend) picked up a lighted firework of some sort and had a big chunk of his hand blown off. I always knew there was a reason when I didn't allow my children to have fireworks.
1 person likes this
@fredstromdaisies (294)
• United States
3 Jul 07
That is horrible. I have a 5 year old now that he don't like fireworks at all so I am always outside with them.
1 person likes this
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
3 Jul 07
Ohh thats really bad, I remember when my two daughter are only a kid and it was new years day when one of their uncle give them each one it is what we called here "lusis" it is like a long stick and you must hold it upright so the fire will blow up to the sky but unluckily my eldest daughter her lusis blow and not upright while holding the lusis it blow all stick in her hand thats why my daughters hand had a slight burn. And not that, most of the fire incident here in my country caused of fireworks coz they don'tknow how to handle the fireworks correctly.
