A mother has shared her terror the moment she saw a firework explode against her 4-year-old child, leaving her scarred for life.
Maisie Roe, now 7, was only 4 years old when a flare from a firework shot across a field suddenly lodged between her scarf and collar before exploding.
The little girl attempted to remove it but her scarf and coat caught on fire. She suffered burns to her shoulder, neck, and head.
Maisie also suffered superficial burns to her ear and face.
Her dad and mom Jack and Stephanie, both 33, had no idea their three children were in danger from the 5-flare candle bought from a local shop.
“I’ll never forget November 5th, 2016. We decided to light a bonfire for our children and buy some sparklers for them to play with. Jake spotted a box of fireworks in a local shop and picked them up too,” Stephanie said.
“We live on a farm, so we were able to double the safe-distance advised on the box.”
When Jake lit a 5-flare candle, only four went up to the air before exploding. One went across the field and got stuck between Maisie’s scarf and collar. As she tried to quickly remove it, it exploded.
“I was stood to the side filming, and I honestly don’t think I realised what was happening until I saw the flames and heard my eldest daughter screaming,” Stephanie expressed.
“I think every parent thinks they know how they’ll react if something like this happened, but the truth is that in that moment I just panicked.
“Thank goodness Jake and my mum, nurse Sue Irwin, 58, were there and acted quickly.
“Maisie’s coat and scarf had caught fire, and everyone was screaming. Jake threw a bucket of water over her and my mum carried her inside where we got to work with silicone dressings and wrapped her head and neck in wet towels.
“Looking at Maisie laying on the living room floor wrapped in a wet towel, I felt sick. I’m first-aid trained, and it’s ingrained in me that the quiet casualties are the ones you need to worry about. Maisie was deadly silent which made it even more terrifying. It was quite clear she was going into shock.”
3 years after the accident, Maisie still has scars from the past. Along with her loving and supportive family, she wants to urge all stores to ban the selling of fireworks.
“I would urge anybody thinking about setting off fireworks at home to think twice. There are so many amazing organised displays around the country that there’s no need to take unnecessary risks. If people are dead set on doing them in the garden, then let small children watch from behind the safety of a window,” Stephanie added.
“We hope that by seeing what happened to our beautiful daughter we can stop other families making the same mistake that we did. It doesn’t matter how safe they claim to be and how far away you can be when they go off – it’s just not worth the risk. It could have been so much worse for Maisie.”
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