North Dakota man shares his story of a fireworks injury

North Dakota man shares his story of a fireworks injury

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - A truck driver is sharing his story after a firework exploded in his hand, an injury that required hours of surgery and months of therapy. His therapist said fireworks injuries are common this time of year and often preventable.

Jim Schultz said a routine day cleaning the shop led to a dangerous discovery: old fireworks, including one broken rocket.

“I finished breaking it off, and I thought, huh, there’s a wick in there,” said Schultz. “So, just stepped way out of bounds, and yeah, I lit that wick, and thought I was going to get rid of it, and it blew up in my hand.”

Schultz wrapped his hand and rushed to the ER, then was transferred to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. He feared he’d lose his entire hand.

At the hospital, they checked Schultz’s eyes and ears. His hearing was slightly damaged.

After an eight-and-a-half-hour surgery, Schultz woke up surprised and relieved.

“I can remember looking over to my left hand, and I was like, and I moved my fingers, and I was like, ‘Wow, I still got my hand,’” said Schultz.

He spent six to seven months in therapy in Bismarck. Hand therapists at the clinic said recovery often involves custom splints, wound care, and early PT to prevent scar tissue from locking everything down.

“If you don’t control it, you have a very poor outcome,” said Cory Vantsdal-Geck, a hand therapist.

She said around the Fourth of July, they routinely treat burns, fractures and sometimes have to perform amputations.

Their message this holiday: don’t hold fireworks, and don’t mess with broken or outdated ones.

Vantsdal-Geck said if you’re injured, follow your doctor’s advice and commit to therapy, because recovery can take months.

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