A father of three in Racine was rushed to the hospital over the weekend when his family’s holiday fun with fireworks went terribly wrong.
Family told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin that an incident with a faulty firework left 25-year-old Justin Hayes blind in his right eye, with a broken nose and third-degree burns to his fingers.
"He was bleeding everywhere,” Laurie LaFever said. “He kept screaming. I don't want to go blind. I don't want to go blind, please don't let me."
Hayes is the boyfriend of Laurie’s daughter Taylor and father to her grandchildren. Laurie said for the last six years near their home in Racine, the family has lit fireworks without incident at an annual neighborhood cookout but Saturday was different.
"Justin went to light one of the fireworks and it wasn't really doing anything so he bent back down and it blew up in his face,” she recalled. “My oldest grandson kept hollering, daddy, daddy I love you.”
Laurie said that’s when her other daughter, Nicole LaFever who is a registered nurse rushed over.
VIDEO: Family grateful, Racine dad recovering after firework explosion
“Working in the ER as a nurse it can prepare you for all the worst tragedies that come in from the public but nothing really prepares you to see your family laying on the ground,” Nicole said.
Still, Nicole did her best to stay calm for the sake of her family, directing some to get towels, then putting pressure on his face before EMTs could arrive.
Days after the incident Nicole said Hayes’ spirits are lifting but his path to recovery is still uncertain. It’s one of the reasons she launched a gofundme to support Hayes, his girlfriend, and their three children.
She said they’re not yet sure how the injuries will affect his ability to continue his work in construction. However, he still has additional upcoming surgeries and doctors are still assessing what his eyes will be capable of.
Both Nicole and Laurie have credited community support through donations, meals, and offers to babysit to help their family move forward.
The incident has also left them urging people to be overly cautious when lighting fireworks. They suggest using face shields or goggles.
“As the days go on we just have to count our blessings in different ways these days and really just thank god that he’s still alive with us and he still has partial vision,” Nicole said. “That he can still watch his kids grow up and live a somewhat normal life.”
In addition to the gofundme, the family is also taking part in an enchilada fundraiser on August 3rd to help relieve some of Hayes' financial burdens during his recovery.
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