Fort Worth — Wanda Lee is still learning to live without most of her left hand.
The Fort Worth grandmother lost four fingers and part of her left hand July 3, while at a friend's in Forney celebrating Independence Day.
Her grandchildren and children were shooting fireworks, and she decided to light a Roman candle that had eight balls, or shots, inside.
"I was holding it with my left hand," said Lee. "I was aiming up, up to the sky. The first, second and third shot went off. When the fourth went off it was just fire. I saw my fingers, my hand coming down and melting. When I saw my hand only thing I knew to call on was the name of Jesus."
A friend called 911.
"Her hand is kind of blown off and she's losing a lot of blood," the friend told the 911 operator, as heard in a recording of the call obtained from police.
Lee was airlifted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where she underwent two surgeries.
When she woke up, she said, two of her sons were holding her, and crying.
"It might have took my fingers but it didn't take my praise though to God," said Lee.
Lee is a driver for a construction company, and is unable to work until she gets a doctor's release, which may not happen until she gets prosthetics, she said.
Nearly two weeks after the accident, Lee feels phantom pains and sensations in fingers that are no longer there. She will eventually get skin grafts and prosthetics.
But Wanda isn't worried about what she lost. She's grateful for what she has.
"Could have been my kids, my daughters, my granddaughter," said Lee. "I'm thankful to be alive, actually."
She hopes sharing her story will keep another family from experiencing a similar fate or worse.
"I pray it reaches the heart of young children out there not to play with fireworks," she said.