A teenager who lost his left eye after going to check an unlit firework is urging others to heed safety warnings. Aleks Stasiukiewicz, 17, was knocked to the ground when the firework exploded as he reached it, and his mother watched as his eye "leaked down his face."
Aleks was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where consultants confirmed he had lost his left eye and part of his eyelid, suffered minor burns to his arm and leg, and broken his front tooth. Specialist oculoplastic surgeons removed fragments of firework residue from his eye socket and inserted a ball-shaped prosthesis to replicate the movement of a real eye.
Mum's account of the accident
Aleks' mother, Julie, described the moment she received a call from one of his friends. "I thought he was joking, but he wasn't," she said. By the time she arrived, Aleks was already in an 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 recounted the incident: "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."
Warning to others
Now, two years on from the accident in November 2024, Aleks and Julie are joining with University Hospitals Tees to raise awareness of firework safety. 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."
He added: "I'm now much more cautious when attending firework displays because I never want to take the risk of something like this happening again."
Gratitude to NHS staff
Julie praised the hospital team: "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."
Consultant oculoplastic and orbital surgeon Gar-Yun Wong, who worked closely with Aleks throughout his recovery, 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."
