Ohio firefighter nearly blinded after faulty firework exploded

A firefighter who was nearly blinded after a rogue firework went off in his hand during a July 4th display is opening about his permanent scars as a warning to others this year.

Captain Jason ‘Jay’ Northup, of the Euclid Fire Department in Ohio, was hosting a fireworks show for his friends and family for Independence Day in 2016 when he went to check on a faulty mortar 10 minutes after it failed to go off, which exploded in his face.

Northup suffered a subdural hematoma – an injury where blood pools between the brain outermost covering – ruptured both eardrums, had second-degree burns on his face, and cuts on his forehead that needed 35 stitches.

So much blood accumulated in his right eye that doctors feared he was at risk of losing it. While his vision was restored, his pupil was left paralyzed, unable to expand or contract.

Northup is now sharing his story and recommending that the public leave fireworks displays to the professionals, saying that ‘any embarrassment or criticism he gets’ is worth it if it prevents someone from experiencing the same kind of injury.

Fire Captain Jason ‘Jay’ Northup, of the Euclid Fire Department in Ohio, was nearly left blinded after a faulty firework mortar exploded in his face 10 minutes after failing to go off during Fourth of July, 2016

Northup was rushed to the hospital, suffering from a head injury, second-degree burns and deep cuts that needed stitches. Pictured: Northup just a few hours after the explosion

Northup's eyelashes and skin around the right eye were burned off. Additionally, the blast left the front of the eye deformed, damaging the cornea and bruising the retina. Pictured: Northup just a few hours after the explosion

Northup was rushed to the hospital (left and right), suffering from a head injury, second-degree burns and deep cuts that needed stitches. Northup’s eyelashes and skin around the right eye were burned off. Additionally, the blast left the front of the eye deformed, damaging the cornea and bruising the retina

In 2016, Northup bought about $600 worth of fireworks for his Fourth of July party and, like in years past, went behind his shed to set up the launch pad.

‘I had all the kids up front by the garage to make sure no one would get hurt, never thinking it would be me instead,’ he told Fox 8.

The first of three mortars went off as intended, but the fourth seemed to be a dud. 

After about 10 minutes of waiting, he went to go investigate the issue. It was dark and, when Northup picked the seemingly defective mortar, he didn’t realize his face was about 12 inches above the cylinder.    

Suddenly, it exploded right in his face.

‘I felt like I was awake but had no idea where I was,’ Northup told CBS News. ‘I instantly felt the trauma and my right eye was swollen shut with blood pouring out of it, but at this point I had no idea what it was.’ 

His wife, an ER nurse, managed to get the bleeding under control and rushed him to MetroHealth, a Level 1 trauma center, in Cleveland. 

Doctors found that Northup had suffered a subdural hematoma, or bleeding of the brain, which is among the deadliest of all head injuries.

He had ruptured both eardrums, had second-degree burns and several bruises on the face, as well as cuts on his forehead that required 35 stitches.

MetroHealth ophthalmologist Dr Thomas Steinemann didn’t treat Northup until the next day.

‘He had life-threatening injuries when he came to the hospital so that needed to be taken care of first but his eye condition was in bad shape,’ he told Daily Mail Online. 

‘There are lots of chemical in fireworks but particularly the ones that make them explode and crate all the pretty colors you see is magnesium hydroxide, which is very caustic.’

The eyelashes and skin around Northup’s right eye was burned off and the front of his eye was deformed, damaging the cornea and bruising the retina.

Blood then began pooling inside his eye, a dangerous condition, known as a hyphema, that increases pressure inside the eye and can lead to blindness.

Dr Steinemann put Northup on bedrest to treat the blood pooling and gave him eye drops that controlled the inflammation as well as prescribed antibiotic eyedrops and ointment to prevent the risk of infection.

Gradually, the firefighter regained this vision and he was able to return to work six weeks after his accident. 

However, while he was still in the hospital, Dr Steinemann noticed that a traumatic  cataract had begun to form in Northup’s right eye, blurring his vision.

‘You ensure the best outcome by intervening when things have quieted down, when injury has lessened so we waited until 10 months later to perform the laser cataract surgery,’ Dr Steinemmann said.

‘It was a long recovery period for Jay – close to a year. I’m happy to say that his vision recovered but his pupil did not recover.’

Northup (pictured, right) was treated with eye drops that controlled the inflammation and was prescribed medication to prevent the risk of infection. Gradually, the firefighter regained this vision and he was able to return to work six weeks after his accident

Northup (pictured, right) was treated with eye drops that controlled the inflammation and was prescribed medication to prevent the risk of infection. Gradually, the firefighter regained this vision and he was able to return to work six weeks after his accident

A traumatic cataract began to form in Northup's eye that blurred his vision, forcing him to undergo cataract surgery to restore his vision 10 months after the incident

A traumatic cataract began to form in Northup’s eye that blurred his vision, forcing him to undergo cataract surgery to restore his vision 10 months after the incident

MetroHealth ophthalmologist Dr Thomas Steinemann (pictured) who has treated Northup since the accident explained that the firefighter's pupil is paralyzed and can no longer expand and contract in different lighting conditions

MetroHealth ophthalmologist Dr Thomas Steinemann (pictured) who has treated Northup since the accident explained that the firefighter’s pupil is paralyzed and can no longer expand and contract in different lighting conditions

Due to nerve damage from the explosion, Northup was left with a paralyzed pupil that is unable to expand and contract in different lighting conditions.

‘The pupil is like the F-stop on a camera, it will let in more light or less light,’ Dr Steinemann said.

‘When you’re indoors, the pupils get bigger. But when you’re outside with a lot of light, the pupil gets small. Jay’s doesn’t move and will never work again.’ 

The ophthalmologist said that post-recovery, Northup will need to go in for an eye exam at least once a year. 

‘He has a problem that won’t go away and what I mean by that is because of the injury, he is at risk for retinal tears, retinal detachment, glaucoma, so we need to constantly make sure none of those develop,’ Dr Steinemann said.

According to a 2016 report from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 10,000 visits were made to the emergency room due to fireworks.

Of those visits, 9,000 were for eye injuries including damaged corneas, damaged retinas and ruptured eyeballs.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says the majority of injuries are not from mortars like the ones Northup purchased. 

Most injuries are caused by legal fireworks parents buy for their children, such as sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles.

Dr Steinemann says he sees several cases of eye injuries around the Fourth of July and in general during the warm weather months.

‘I want everyone to have a safe and wonderful Fourth of July but leave the fireworks to the professionals,’ he said.

‘The risk is not always the person igniting the fireworks. Half the time, the risk is to bystanders and half of those are children.  

‘And if you do get hurt setting them off, even if it’s a loss of vision in just one eye, the cost to your quality of life is devastating.’

The AAO advises that if you do choose to set off your own fireworks, wear protective eyegear and keep a hose and bucket on hand.

If you have a dud, soak it with a hose from a safe distance away. Then pick it up with a shovel and submerge it in a bucket of water before disposing it.  



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