Overview
- Aleks Stasiukiewicz suffered the blast after he went to inspect a firework that failed to go off, and doctors at James Cook University Hospital confirmed he lost his left eye and part of his eyelid.
- The explosion also caused burns to his arm and leg and a broken front tooth, and friends called emergency services before his mother arrived at the scene.
- Specialist oculoplastic surgeons removed fragments of debris, performed reconstructive surgery the next day, and fitted a ball‑shaped orbital prosthesis that preserves movement in the eye socket.
- Consultant Gar‑Yun Wong and the treatment team are using Aleks’s case to warn the public to attend organised displays and never return to or handle unexploded fireworks.
- Two years after the November 2024 Bonfire Night incident, Aleks and his mother are working with University Hospitals Tees to raise safety awareness ahead of this year’s displays, a move that could reduce risky handling of fireworks and prevent similar injuries.