An O’Fallon, Missouri man, 20-year-old Jared Phillip, is recovering from a June 9 fireworks accident that blew off two of his fingers and burned his face.
Phillips’ cousin, Michael Reeder of St. Charles, said Phillips was with friends when they found what he described as a fireworks mortar shell.
“He attempted to light it, the wick was too short and went too quickly. It blew up in his hand,” said Reeder. “He lost the middle finger and ring finger of his right hand. He’s right handed.”
Reeder said there were other injuries to his cousin’s left hand and his face.
“His face had a lot of burns on his right side from being so close. His nose had some burns on it,” said Reeder.
After visiting Phillips in the hospital, Reeder decided to start a GoFundMe page this week to raise money for his cousin’s medical bills.
“I wanted to try to see if there was anything I could do,” said Reeder. “I talked to a couple of buddies at work and they talked about starting a GoFundMe page. When it gets down to it, we’re here for each other. Those are the people that matter.”
Reeder said one of Jared Phillips’ passions is playing the guitar.
“One of the first things that he said was wondering if he would be able to play the guitar again,” said Reeder, “and that’s pretty heart-breaking for someone who loves to do something like that.”
In a text message to Newschannel 5, Lynn Phillips, Jared’s mother, said her nephew Michah Reed has a big heart and she’s grateful for his help. For more information about the GoFundMe fundraising, click here.
