WESTFIELD, Ind. — The scars on Kristi Anema’s right hand and arm are a constant reminder of how much her life has changed since a fireworks accident nine months ago.
“I never expected this to happen to me. You know, it’s something you hear about but don’t think it will happen to you,” Anema said. “It was a very stupid, life-changing decision.”
Last Labor Day weekend, the Westfield mom of four was sitting around a bonfire with her family when she was handed a preloaded mortar firework.
“I didn’t even really think twice. I’ve always been a little bit of a daredevil,” Anema said. “My son told me, ‘Mom I don’t think this is a good idea’ and I said, ‘Oh, mommy will be fine.’”
But instead of it shooting out the top of the tube, it malfunctioned and exploded at the bottom - at her hand.
Anema’s 17-year-old son quickly called 911 while her family helped wrapped the hand in a towel.
“Luckily, I was in shock. I don’t remember seeing my fingers. I remember seeing the bone. When I look back at it now, all the flashbacks are in red. I remember my ears were ringing,” she said.
When paramedics arrived, she realized how severe her injury was. Her hand was practically spilt in half and her fingers were barely hanging on.
“I remember at one point, I said ‘I don’t even know if I have my fingers’ and the paramedic said, ‘You have your fingers.’ But I knew it was bad. There was a lot of blood,” Anema said.
At the time, she remembers being more worried about the cookout she was hosting the following day and whether she had to cancel.
“Looking back at it now, my family jokes with me that I was more upset because I knew I had to cancel the cookout the next day,” Anema said.
Paramedics took Anema the Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, a level 1 trauma center. Doctors first thought they would have to amputate some of her fingers to save her hand. She had at least 15 breaks, six dislocations and a compound fracture.
“I remember I was crying and said, ‘can you please try and save them’ and the doctor said, ‘Honey, we are trying to save your hand,’” Anema said.
After surgery, she woke up to learn all five fingers were saved.
“At the beginning, I couldn’t even wiggle my fingers. I couldn’t do anything at all. I wasn’t allowed to use my hand. I had 12 pins in my hand, and I was not allowed to use it whatsoever.”
Since then she’s had five surgeries and nine months of intense therapy. She currently had four plates and cadaver bones in her hand.
Doctors are hoping for a return of 80 percent function in her right hand. Until then, she is learning to adapt to a new lifestyle.
“I am doing a lot better,” Anema said. “I have my hand, so that’s all that matters.”
She thanks her mom for being there every step of the way.
“My mom had to drive me [to therapy] because I couldn’t drive for two months. She had to come to my house every day and do wound care and have the dressing changed,” Anema said.
She is continuing to do therapy and said her current goal is to cut her own food with a fork and knife. She’s also returned to work for her cleaning business.
Most recently, she’s checked one thing off her bucket list by going fishing with her family.
“My therapist made me a gadget to help me fish and it works great,” Anema said.
She said she hopes her mistake will protect others and their families, saying one accident can change your life forever.
“I know it was stupid and dumb. It happened to me and now I am paying the price for it,” she said.
The trauma center at Ascension St. Vincent said they see a number of fireworks-related injuries every year during the summer, especially hand and face injuries.
Firework safety tips:
- Never let children play with or be near fireworks
- Teach children to respect the dangers of fireworks
- Set a good example. Children are great imitators of adult behaviors
- Offer child-safe alternatives such as glow-in-the-dark wands, noisemakers or fireless fireworks
- Never light fireworks in your hand or near your face
- Never ignite fireworks in a glass or metal container
- Keep a bucket of water close by to douse “duds”
- Never attempt to relight a firework
- Sparklers can burn at 1,200 ºF and are not made for children
- Put all used sparklers in a bucket of water as they remain hot for a long period of time
- Never modify fireworks or use homemade fireworks
- Do not carry fireworks in your pockets
- If clothing catches fire, stop, drop and roll until it’s out. Then cool with water and call 911
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