‘This is super dangerous’: Baird woman faces uncertain recovery after toy wand explodes

BAIRD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – “A grenade essentially went off in her hand.”

That’s how Kelsey’s sister, Ashley Tucker, described the moment a toy wand purchased from the TikTok shop exploded in Kelsey’s hand, an accident that left her with a severed fingertip, four broken fingers, and other injuries. Now the sisters are sharing their story in hopes of preventing anyone else from experiencing the same thing.

The toy wand uses flash paper that, when ignited, shoots out a fireball effect before quickly burning away. Tucker said Kelsey followed instructions carefully, even turning the wand off while reloading.

“She loaded the paper in the wand, and when she turned it on, that’s when it exploded. She didn’t even press the button for it to shoot the magic,” Tucker recalled. “She even used a smaller piece than the first time, and after looking at all the product stuff, it even says that if you use too small a piece, it’s only supposed to smoke. So she used a smaller piece, and it still exploded.”

However, Tucker said the instructions were confusing and at times contradictory. The toy came from an overseas seller, and Tucker noted the instructions appeared poorly translated.

“What’s crazy about the listing is that in pictures, it says no one under 18 should use this. But then, in the product description, it says, if you’re above 12, it’s fine. So it’s very conflicting,” Tucker shared.

They are still unsure what caused the explosion, possibly a battery or igniter inside the toy wand. Because the wand was made of metal, the blast left more than just hand injuries. The explosion not only damaged Kelsey’s hand but also sent shards of metal into her chest and clothing.

“She had metal bits, like in her undergarments. After she went to the hospital, it was on the floors and stuff like that,” Tucker said. “It might be dramatic, as in terms of, like, verbiage, but like a grenade essentially went off in her hand.”

Now, Kelsey is facing an uncertain recovery.

She literally can’t use her hand. I mean, that’s scary for anybody. I reported the listing to TikTok… This is super dangerous,” Tucker shared. “She works, goes to school, and has three kids, and now has this injury where she can’t essentially do anything. Her husband has to, primarily, do a lot for her.”

After leaving a review on the seller’s page with photos of her injuries, Tucker said this was the response her sister received:

“The seller actually replied, and was like, ‘Hey, we’re so sorry to see your review. If you could delete it, we’ll refund you.’ And it’s like it was $25, that’s not enough to cover surgery, physical therapy, mental, I mean, trauma that’s going on,” Tucker explained.

Kelsey will undergo surgery in Fort Worth on September 11. In the meantime, her family is warning others to use caution when buying from online marketplaces.

“A lot of it is just spreading awareness on being careful what you order from TikTok shop, because it could not be the real thing. And typically, if it’s not the real thing, it’s probably manufactured cheaply. So things like this could happen more,” Tucker expressed. “Just be careful what you shop for. Just because it looks cool doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

If you are interested in helping Kelsey in her recovery, click here to visit her GoFundMe.

BigCountryHomepage has reached out to the seller for comment, but the seller has not responded at this time.