Mum's horror as son, 15, loses eye after firework explodes in his face

A mum has spoken of the heartbreaking moment she watched her teenage son suffer devastating injuries when a firework exploded in his face, leaving him permanently blind in one eye.

Aleks Stasiukiewicz was just 15 when the accident happened in November 2024, after an unexploded firework detonated as he approached it to investigate.

The 17-year-old college student had earlier attended an organised fireworks display at a rugby club in Hartlepool, County Durham, before heading to a nearby park with friends.

When one of the fireworks failed to go off as expected, Aleks went over to relight it. But it exploded instantly, knocking him to the ground and causing horrific injuries.

His friends immediately called 999, while his mum Julie rushed to the scene after receiving a phone call telling her that her son had been struck in the face.

Julie, also from Hartlepool, initially thought the call was a joke before realising the seriousness of what had happened.

She said: "When I arrived, Aleks was already lying in the ambulance, I didn't take my eyes off him, I was devastated.

"I had to watch as his eye leaked down the side of his face."

Aleks was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where doctors delivered the devastating news that he had lost his left eye and part of his eyelid.

He had also suffered burns to his arm and leg and broken a front tooth in the explosion.

Specialist surgeons subsequently carried out surgery to remove fragments of firework debris from his eye socket and fitted a ball-shaped prosthesis designed to replicate the movement of a natural eye.

Consultant oculoplastic and orbital surgeon Gar-Yun Wong worked closely with Aleks during his recovery.

His mum praised the hospital team for helping her son regain some normality following the traumatic incident.

She said: "The hospital was incredible and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done to give Aleks some normality, in what can only be described as a tragic incident.

"Aleks underwent surgery the next day and now, thanks to the team's expertise, he still has movement within his eye socket.

"He has lost a lot and there will be things he can't do but we feel lucky. It could have been so much worse."

Now, as Bonfire Night approaches, both Julie and Aleks are sharing their experience in the hope of preventing other families from going through a similar ordeal.

Aleks said he remembered going over to the firework after it failed to ignite properly, unaware of the danger.

He said: "When people say don't play with fireworks, listen.

"I know it can be tempting to break the rules and have a bit of fun but fireworks are incredibly dangerous.

"They are not something you should mess around with as they can cause serious, life-changing injuries."

He added that the experience had made him much more cautious about attending firework displays, saying he never wanted to risk anything similar happening again.

Mr Wong also warned that Bonfire Night was a particularly concerning time for eye specialists, with accidents capable of causing permanent damage in an instant.

He urged people to attend organised displays and never approach or handle a firework that had already been lit.