When Jordan Aguilar gathered with a bunch of friends four years ago to celebrate the Fourth of July, she didn’t know that night would change her life. She just happened to be standing near a trailer loaded with fireworks, when somebody lit a firework before they were supposed to, and put a mortar in the wrong sized pipe. That set off 8-10 thousand dollars’ worth of fireworks just a few feet away from her. The resulting explosion and fireball burned her legs, arm and back…more than 20 percent of her body receiving second and third degree burns.

            Jordan spent weeks in the Burnett Burn Center at The University of Kansas Hospital, receiving skin grafts and undergoing physical therapy.  She describes the year-long recovery process as “long and brutal.” She still suffers post-traumatic stress from the ordeal, and has a hard time watching fireworks displays to this day.