Family Pleading For Others To Be Careful With Fireworks After Serious Injury

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As everyone is getting ready to celebrate the Fourth of July, a Colorado family is asking people to be careful.

Their daughter received second and third-degree burns from a firework which exploded. Her treatment lasted for nearly a year.

When you first meet her, you see a big sister and a brave daughter.

“You got surgery on your knee,” said Hailey Sexson to her mom.

“I would take that over what you went through,” her mother replied.

Hailey is a 9-year-old girl who doesn’t hide from what happened last year.

“It was bad it could have been much worse,” said Hailey’s mom, Lindsey Martin.

It was just before the 4th of July, a year ago: a firework didn’t go off properly and it exploded near Hailey.

“I didn’t really feel it because I was in shock,” she said.

Her arm and neck got burnt. “She had some shrapnel in her eye as well,” Martin said.

For almost a year she was treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado Burn Center. Treated for the physical pain and more.

“My role is to talk to them in two parts, handling the anxiety around what happened to you and how to feel confident in situations when someone may ask you questions,” said Brad Jackson, a psychologist with the Burn Center.

“People always ask what happened,” said Hailey.

Lindsey said about celebrating Fourth of July with fireworks “Definitely keep your kids far away,”.

“Sparklers can get over 1200 degrees – it’s really hot enough to melt glass and in some cases hot enough to melt metal,” Jackson said.

Even tiny fireworks can cause a lot of pain. Children’s Hospital treated about 30 patients burned by fireworks last year, which is nearly twice as many from the year before.

“I just wanted to take the pain away from her,” Martin said. “She’s come so far she’s such a tough girl,” he added.

Jackson said that it’s important to keep kids a safe distance from fireworks. He also urges to make sure kids are wearing shoes because many times they get burned on their feet, as well as their hands and face.

Importantly, after the celebrations make sure any spare fireworks are out of reach.