Aaden Valdez was enjoying his neighborhood's Independence Day block party last year when the night took a turn for the worst.
"I had the firework in my hand right here and the next thing I remember a bright flash went off, my ears were ringing," he told KRDO. "I had no clue what was going on. I couldn't see."
The explosion caused Valdez to lose an eye and all but one of his fingers on his left hand. He underwent four surgeries because of the firework.
Valdez hopes to use his story as a cautionary tale for firework safety. He raised funds to create a fireworks safety tips coloring book and is giving away 1,500 pairs of safety glasses.