A former paramedic has warned Aussies about the potential dangers of sparklers after a woman’s life was turned upside down in seconds.
Nikki Jurcutz, who worked as a paramedic for eight years with Ambulance Victoria, re-shared the harrowing story of a young woman named Rachael to highlight the risks of the $3 supermarket item commonly used at New Year’s parties and birthdays.
For most of Rachael’s life, she was in and out of the hospital after suffering severe burns after her sparkler unexpectedly ignited her clothes, turning her into a ‘literal human torch’.
Reflecting on that fateful day, Rachael, now aged 32, wanted to warn others about the innocent hand-held firework that led her down an excruciating path for more than 10 years – after her left hand was amputated and she had to learn how to walk again.
‘As much as I have adapted, one split second changed my life. Yet it’s something that people don’t think about,’ she said.
‘Sparklers are highly dangerous and account for the majority of firework related serious injuries. Yet we class them as “safe”.’
It all started when her parents gave her sparklers to play with as a child.
‘I remember thinking I felt like a magical fairy… That was until sparks from the sparkler ignited my clothing,’ Rachael said.
Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz (pictured) has warned Aussies about the potential dangers of sparklers after a woman’s life was turned upside down in seconds
She explained how the terrifying ordeal left her in an induced coma for several weeks while undergoing major surgeries, including an amputation.
‘Upon regaining consciousness, I had most of my left hand amputated and my parents discovered that I needed grafting on full thickness burns on 49 per cent of my body and face,’ she recalled.
‘I had multiple reconstructions, grafts, muscle flaps, physio to learn how to walk, pressure garments and masks.’
Despite spending months in intensive care, her nightmare wasn’t over.
‘(Doctors) taught my mother how to dress my wounds at home between surgeries,’ Rachael said.
She explained how the simple act ended up leaving her with a life of pain.
‘For years until I was 20 I spent the majority of my life in hospital having surgeries or physio,’ she said.
‘Even now at the age of 32 I still have them.’
Rachael shared her story with the former paramedic, who runs an Australian children’s safety page called Tiny Hearts Education, in hopes of raising awareness.
For most of Rachael’s life, she was in and out of the hospital after suffering severe burns after her sparkler ignited her clothes, turning her into a ‘literal human torch’ (file image)
‘Sparklers are often given to kids who may not understand the dangers and are encouraged to wave them around. Sparklers cause more injuries to children under five than any other type of firework,’ Nikki warned.
‘Unlike other fireworks, sparklers are held in the hand, increasing the risk of burns. Sparklers burn at temperatures of up to 1200C. Sparks can ignite clothing, especially synthetic fabrics, leading to serious injuries.
‘If you still want to use sparklers, a good tip is to stick the end into a carrot and have the child hold the carrot.’
Many parents shared their own experiences, while others warned that adults can get injured from using sparklers too, not just children.
‘Thank you for posting – we had a burn last night (minor to our daughter’s fingers) but knowing the carrot trick would have been so handy,’ one mum said.
‘When I was seven, an idiot waved one around and put it in my hair. It was excruciating, it melted the flesh and my hair almost instantly. I’ve suffered many burns since including a ripper on my hand (third degree burns) and the sparkler is still four times more painful, please be careful with these,’ another shared.
‘I stood on a spark off a sparkler as a teen and I will never forget the pain, I’m super paranoid now and that was 13 years ago,’ one recalled.
‘My daughter’s clothes caught alight and ended up in intensive care at the children’s hospital… it happens,’ another revealed.
Many said they wished they’d known about the carrot trick sooner after suffering burns as a child from playing with sparklers.
‘Where was this warning when I was 10 and the sparkler lit my skirt on fire?’ one said.
‘If only I knew that back when I did sparklers with the kids,’ another shared.
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