An 18-year-old in Pleasanton, California, lost his right hand in a firework accident on June 3, just three days after graduating high school. Nader Hanna was with his twin brother and friends outside an In-N-Out Burger when a firework, described as being about the size of a tennis ball, exploded immediately after he lit it.
“It just exploded in my hand the second I lit it,” Hanna told the San Francisco Chronicle. “My hand took the whole blow. I looked down and I didn’t see a hand. It disintegrated.”
Hanna, who is left-handed, is now adapting to daily tasks without his non-dominant hand. His twin brother called 911, and a friend ran into the restaurant to ensure emergency services were contacted. Police officers applied tourniquets before paramedics arrived. Doctors were unable to reattach Hanna's hand but were able to preserve his wrist.
Pleasanton police Lt. Nicholas Albert stated that investigators believe the firework was illegal, rather than one of California's approved "safe and sane" varieties. Hanna believes the firework was faulty. Police did not cite Hanna due to the severity of his injuries and found insufficient evidence to pursue a criminal investigation into its sale or distribution.
The incident has become a cautionary tale as the Fourth of July holiday approaches, a period when fireworks-related injuries typically increase nationwide. The Pleasanton Police Department used Hanna's case in a public warning, stating, "This incident is a powerful reminder of how quickly fireworks can change lives in a matter of seconds."
Despite missing graduation festivities and postponing his college start, Hanna expressed a focus on recovery and hopes to eventually use a prosthetic. "It just motivated me to be better, for the future," he said. "Now I have to be someone great. I can’t be an average dude now since I don’t have a right hand."