6-year-old faces long recovery after firework debris hits him in head, Utah dad says

A 6-year-old boy was left with brain bleeding after the debris of a neighbor’s homemade firework hit him in the head, a Utah dad said.

The boy, Christian Ly, is more alert and showing signs of improvement and has since been taken off his ventilator and feeding tubes, the boy’s father, Kenneth Ly, told McClatchy News in a phone interview on July 12.

Christian, described by his dad as a “super sweetheart,” was with his family preparing to set off fireworks July 4 outside their new West Valley City home when they heard a loud explosion come from their backyard, his father said.

The boy, his father, his mother and two older sisters were in their driveway with other friends and family. Around 9:30 p.m., everyone started brushing debris from their heads, Kenneth Ly said.

“The neighbor set off their homemade firework, but it went off too low. It exploded over our house, and the debris hit our driveway,” the dad said.

Christian’s dad recalls the moment he heard his son “screaming bloody murder” after getting hit with the debris.

“He was just bleeding, screaming, crying. I was grabbing rags, and my wife was screaming hysterically,” Kenneth Ly said. “The moment our hearts dropped was when his eyes started closing, he seized up, eyes closed, foaming from the mouth and I called 911.”

Christian’s dad said first responders arrived in three minutes and took him to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Although the soon-to-be second grader is showing signs of improvement, his dad said if his July 14 surgery proceeds, “they’ll have to hit the reset button.”

“He’ll have to be sedated again and go through all of the tubing again,” Kenneth Ly said. “It’s a scary thought because he improved, but he’ll have to do it all again. The doctors warned us saying, ‘It’s only going to get worse before it gets better.’”

Christian, who will turn 7 on July 16, “does stuff without asking,” his dad said.

“He’ll see mommy and daddy washing dishes and pull up a chair to help,” Kenneth Ly said. “Even though he might not clean it very good, he’s trying.”

Salt Lake City Fire officials told KUTV that anything that requires a wire to light or a firework that launches is considered an illegal firework.

Christian’s father wants people to take extra safety precautions after the incident.

“In a million years I never thought this would happen. I’ve been lighting fireworks for 39 years. Nothing like this has ever happened and now it did,” he said.

West Valley City is about 10 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published July 12, 2023 at 11:42 AM with the headline "6-year-old faces long recovery after firework debris hits him in head, Utah dad says."