Sacramento-area burn survivor hopes fireworks safety message lasts beyond the holiday
As another Independence Day comes to a close, safety advocates hope one message sticks with families long after the fireworks have faded.
For Rhea Vidhun, the dangers of fireworks are deeply personal.
She was 12 years old when a sparkler ignited her dress during her family's Diwali celebration, leaving her with severe burns.
"In less than a minute, everything was just on fire," Vidhun recalled. "I went on the floor. I stopped, dropped, and rolled."
She spent months recovering in the hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and physical therapy. While she has returned to the activities she loves, she says the scars serve as a constant reminder of that day.
"It definitely isn't an easy injury, and you're left with the scars of what happened for the rest of your life," she said.
Her story comes as the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 13,000 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries last year, including roughly 1,300 involving sparklers.
Burn specialists say what happens in the first few minutes after an injury can have a lasting impact.
"The first thing is to get the person away from the firework and put the burn under cool running water," said Dr. Tina Palmieri, chief of the Burn Division at UC Davis Health. "Keep it under cool running water for about 20 minutes. That can decrease the need for skin grafting by about 30 percent."
Today, Vidhun volunteers in the same burn unit where she was once a patient and hopes to become a doctor, using her own experience to help others.
As the holiday wraps up, she hopes her story reminds families that a few simple precautions can prevent life-changing injuries.
"If you're going to do it," Vidhun said, "at least keep a bucket of water or something. Try to keep safe, keep watch of your kids, and don't have too many going at the same time."
Doctors say even after the holiday, anyone treating a burn should cool the injury with running water and seek medical attention if the burn is severe.