Many will ring in the New Year by shooting fireworks at home.
But 'family fun' can quickly turn dangerous.
For one North Texas girl, a firework accident left her with injuries she will have the rest of her life.
On July 4, 2015, 8-year-old Makenna Brown and her dad, Corey, were celebrating by watching a fireworks display at a neighbor’s house in Royce City.
“The display was a good 40 yards from us,” he said. “After the first shot, it tipped over and it aimed right at the kids and just [started] shooting missiles. Everybody's screaming, hollering, ducking.”
Corey dove to protect his daughter.
“Just as I got to her, I'm probably two feet from her, it impacted. I mean, I was just a little too late,” he said.
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The firework hit Makenna in her left eye.
She spent days in the hospital. The damage was so bad, her eye had to be removed.
“It was not an easy thing to see, so it’s all still very raw for me,” said Makenna’s mother, Tonya Brown.
Five months later, Makenna has a prosthetic eye that she'll wear for the rest of her life.
“Her attitude and seeing how she handled everything, it really helped me get over that,” Corey said.
This New Year's Eve, there won’t be any fireworks. Instead, the Browns will celebrate by over baked goods and board games.
They also have a warning for anyone planning on igniting fireworks at home.
“Wear eye protection,” Tonya said. “Wear some sort of protection that will keep this from happening to you your child.”
