Westland family reminds others to be safe with fireworks a year after 4-year-old girl suffered fractured skull

Lucy struck by firework 70 yards away, hospitalized

WESTLAND, Mich. – A year ago, just after the Fourth of July weekend, we covered the story of 3-year-old Lucy.

Lucy was 70 yards away from the fireworks being set off by a neighbor when one struck her. She was rushed to Motts Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan and required a stitch in her brain.

She suffered a fractured skull and her recovery has been long and difficult. Lucy spent more than a week in the pediatric ICU.

READ: With public shows canceled, fireworks stores seeing uptick in sales

According to WalletHub, 67 percent of annual fireworks injuries happen with a month of the Fourth of July. In 2018, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that 9,100 fireworks-related injuries were treated in the ER.

Now, in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some families might not want to watch fireworks display with others, but opt to light their own at home.

READ: With public shows canceled, fireworks stores seeing uptick in sales

Marie Bukis is Lucy’s mother. She said Lucy is nearly 5 years old now and has made a full recovery. The Westland family is urging others to learn from their incident.

READ: Detroit police want people to follow these safety tips when using fireworks this holiday weekend


About the Authors

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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