An Oklahoma mother is facing a life-changing recovery after a fireworks accident cost her two fingers while she was trying to protect her 7-year-old daughter.
Jessica Kies, of Tuttle, said the explosion happened on June 19 while her family was setting off fireworks at home. She noticed her daughter holding a large Roman candle and quickly grabbed it away from her moments before it malfunctioned.
“Something in my stomach was like, you need to drop it,” Kies told Fox affiliate KOKH. “But of course you don’t act that fast. It’s just an afterthought.”
The firework exploded in her hand, causing devastating injuries.
“It pretty much blew up this whole side of my hand,” Kies told NBC affiliate KFOR on June 29.
She lost her pinky and ring finger and said two pins were placed to hold the remaining part of her pinky area together. Her middle finger was also left badly swollen.
“I lost my pinky and my ring finger, and you can see that my middle finger is still really swollen,” she said.
Kies was rushed to a hospital and spent 24 hours in a trauma unit before a hand surgeon could evaluate the damage.
In addition to the injuries to her hand, she suffered burns across her body. She has undergone multiple surgeries, including a skin graft, according to KOKH.
Now, the hairstylist is learning how to handle everyday tasks in a completely new way. One of the most emotional challenges has been wondering how she will continue doing simple things for her daughter, including braiding her hair.
“I was upset the other day because I’m going to have to figure out how to braid her hair because I use those two fingers to do that,” Kies told KFOR. “But I’ll get through it. It’s just going to be a learning curve and just take it a day at a time.”
Despite the pain and uncertainty ahead, Kies said she is grateful the explosion injured her instead of her child.
“I’m very grateful it happened to me,” she told CBS affiliate KWTV. “I will take it all day so she doesn’t have to deal with that.”
A friend has since created a GoFundMe to help Kies and her family with medical expenses and the financial strain caused by her recovery.
“While she is facing a challenging and life-changing recovery, Jessica is incredibly strong and staying positive,” the fundraiser states. “As she focuses on healing, she will need significant medical care and time away from everyday responsibilities.”
Kies is now sharing her story as a warning to other families about how quickly fireworks can turn dangerous.
“You never think it’s going to happen to you,” she told KWTV. “It can happen to you and you definitely don’t want it to happen to your kids.”
We will risk anything for our kids. You’ll be OK mom.