Aussie ex-paramedic’s grave warning about a popular $3 supermarket item everyone needs to know about: ‘One split second changed my life forever’

A former paramedic has warned Australians about the potential dangers of sparklers after a woman’s life was turned upside down in seconds.

Nikki Jurcutz, who worked as a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria for eight years, reshared the harrowing story of a young woman named Rachael to highlight the risks of the $3 supermarket item often used at New Year’s parties and birthdays.

She was in and out of the hospital for most of Rachael’s life after suffering severe burns after her sparkler unexpectedly set her clothes on fire, turning her into a “literal human torch.”

Looking back on that fateful day, Rachael, now 32 years old, wanted to warn others about the harmless portable fireworks that led her down an excruciating path for more than a decade – after her left hand was amputated and she had to learn to walk. again.

‘No matter how much I have adapted, one split second changed my life. Yet it’s something people don’t think about,” she said.

‘Sparklers are very dangerous and responsible for the majority of serious injuries associated with fireworks. Yet we consider them ‘safe’.”

It all started when her parents gave her sparklers to play with as a child.

“I remember thinking I felt like a magical fairy… That was until the sparkles from the sparkler ignited my clothes,” Rachael said.

She explained how the terrifying ordeal left her in an induced coma for several weeks while she underwent major surgery, including an amputation.

“When I regained consciousness, I had most of my left hand amputated and my parents discovered that I needed transplants for full-thickness burns on 49 percent of my body and face,” she recalls.

‘I have had several reconstructions, transplants, muscle flaps, physio to learn to walk, pressure garments and masks.’

Despite spending months in intensive care, her nightmare was not over.

“(Doctors) taught my mother how to care for my wounds at home between surgeries,” Rachael said.

She explained how this simple act ended up causing her a lifetime of pain.

“For years, until I was 20, I spent most of my life in hospital in surgery or physio,” she said.

“Even now, at 32, I still have them.”

Rachael shared her story with the former paramedic, who runs an Australian child safety page called Tiny Hearts Educationin hopes of raising awareness.

She was in and out of hospital for most of Rachael’s life after suffering severe burns after her sparkler set her clothes on fire, turning her into a ‘literal human torch’ (file image)

‘Sparklers are often given to children who may not understand the dangers and are encouraged to wave them. Sparklers cause more injuries to children under five than any other type of fireworks,” Nikki warned.

‘Unlike other fireworks, sparklers are held in the hand, which increases the risk of burns. Sparklers burn at temperatures up to 1200C. Sparks can ignite clothing, especially synthetic fabrics, which can cause serious injury.

‘If you want to use stars, a good tip is to stick the end into a carrot and let the child hold the carrot.’

Many parents shared their own experiences, while others warned that adults can also be injured by using sparklers, not just children.

“Thanks for posting – we had a burn last night (small on our daughter’s fingers) but knowing the carrot trick would have been so useful,” said one mother.

‘When I was seven, some idiot waved it and put it in my hair. It was unbearable, the flesh and my hair melted almost immediately. I’ve suffered many burns since then, including a ripper on my hand (third degree burns) and the spark is still four times more painful, please be careful with this,” another shared.

‘As a teenager I stood on a spark of a star and I will never forget the pain. I’m super paranoid now and that was 13 years ago,” one person recalled.

“My daughter’s clothes caught fire and ended up in the intensive care unit at the children’s hospital… it happens,” another revealed.

Many said they wished they had known about the carrot trick sooner after suffering burns from playing with sparklers as children.

“Where was this warning when I was ten and the sparkler set my skirt on fire?” said one.

“I wish I had known that when I made sparklers with the kids,” said another.