A North East teenager who lost his eye in a firework accident is urging others to stay safe this Bonfire Night. Aleks Stasiukiewicz, 17, lost his left eye while attempting to re-light a firework in a local park, which he believed had failed to ignite, in November 2024.
Two years on, Aleks and his mum have joined forces with University Hospitals Tees to raise awareness of firework safety and to thank the NHS teams who supported his recovery.
The Accident
Aleks, from Hartlepool, said: "On the evening of the accident, I attended an organised fireworks display at a local rugby club, before joining my friends at a nearby park. I remember someone lighting a firework, but it didn't go off as intended so I went over to relight it. It exploded instantly, knocking me to the floor."
Aleks' mum, Julie, rushed to the scene after receiving the news. She said: "Aleks had left the house earlier in the evening to go to an organised firework display. Just hours later, I received a call from his friend telling me he'd been hit in the face with a firework. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't."
"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", reports Teesside Live.
Hospital Treatment
Aleks was rushed to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where consultants confirmed he had lost his left eye and part of his eyelid. He had also sustained minor burns to his arm and leg, as well as a broken front tooth.
Expert oculoplastic surgeons extracted fragments of firework debris from his eye socket and fitted a ball-shaped prosthetic to mimic the movement of a natural eye.
Julie added: "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."
Safety Warning
Aleks 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. I'm now much more cautious when attending firework displays because I never want to take the risk of something like this happening again."
Consultant oculoplastic and orbital surgeon Gar-Yun Wong worked closely alongside Aleks throughout his recuperation. He said: "Bonfire Night is always a worrying time as an eye consultant. Accidents can happen in an instant and can result in life-changing eye injuries or even permanent sight loss. We strongly encourage people to attend organised firework displays and never return to or handle a lit firework."
