Fourth of July panic: Teen loses leg and fingers in homemade fireworks 'bomb' (WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES)

'I just want parents to know don't let your kids play with fireworks.'

A Texas teen tied 180 sparkler fireworks together with electric tape to create a "bomb" in celebration of Independence Day. Unfortunately for the boy, things didn't go as planned.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - While other kids enjoyed the firework displays, 15-year-old Rowdy Radford lit his brick-like sparkler bomb - which immediately erupted in an explosion of fire and sent metal shrapnel flying.

The explosion was so powerful it blew a four-foot hole in the ground and the sound could be heard up to four miles away.

Radford was struck along the front of his body, resulting in the loss of fingers, shrapnel embedded in his face, giving him a 50 percent change of losing his sight, a scorched body and face, and wounds so grievous his left leg had to be amputated below the knee.

Doctors at the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, where Radford is currently sedated in the ICU, explained Radford's sight may survive but until he wakes they can't be certain.

Another boy involved in the sparkler bomb explosion suffered eye injuries as well, though most of his body was spared Radford's horrific wounds.

Samantha Hansen, Radford's aunt, said: "Rowdy has always been known for making his booms and he makes his booms by scaring everybody. As soon as Rowdy went down to light it, it exploded. He didn't even have a change to run."

Wendy Smith, Radford's mother, explained, "They do it every year. But we didn't know this was going to be a big one."

Teenagers aren't the only ones playing with fireworks in illegal ways.

Several adults join in to create larger, more powerful explosions each year, resulting in an average of 60 percent of all fireworks injuries occurring around July Fourth.

The Radford family is only one of many who witnessed a family member play with fire and get horribly burned. They set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for Rowdy's medical expenses and updated the boy's condition.

"The doctors looked at Rowdy's eye and they can't see the cornea due to being severely burned and because of this they can't remove any of the metal fragments that are still in his eyes.

"Also Rowdy is now fighting infection in the leg that was partly amputated and because of the infection they might have to remove more of the leg....He is still on a breathing machine and being kept sedated."

Smith cautioned others from allowing their children from altering fireworks in the future: "It's really hard to see your baby go through all this. I just want the parents to know don't let your kids play with fireworks, it's not worth it. It really ain't. It hurts because I want to see my kid talk to me and he's not because he can't. It's really rough."

Hansen added: "If you knew Rowdy and how wonderful a child he was, you wouldn't want nobody to go through this. Protect your children, anything can happen."

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