And as one South Jersey man explains, it can happen in a second, but change your life forever.
20-year-old Thomas Eldershaw of Jackson, New Jersey, is getting used to his prosthetic eye, but will never forgot how he got it.
And as the Fourth of July approaches he is sharing his story, warning about the dangers of fireworks.
He says, "Literally in one second your life is changed."
He says while helping with illegal fireworks at a party last year.
One exploded directly in his eye.
He says, "It felt like getting punched in the face by the biggest person you could imagine."
He was taken to Wills Eye Institute.
This is video of him last year after his first surgery
He has since had more surgeries, but is blind in his left eye, and now wears a porcelain prosthesis.
"It breaks my heart to know he has had this injury and now has to live with the rest of his life," says Thomas' mother, Renee.
Dr. Michael DellaVecchia, an emergency medicine specialist at Wills eye, says he sees injuries like Thomas' every year.
"Unfortunately it only takes a split second where people are unaware or unprepared," he told Action News.
Thomas says he never thought this would happen to him. He says everyone should leave fireworks to the professionals.
"To be honest with you, it is just not worth it," he told us.
He's had to learn many basic skills - driving, writing, even pouring a glass of milk - all over again because his vision has changed.
