Destin boy blinded by fireworks in high spirits as he recovers

DESTIN - Gianni Toce's big brother A.J. described him in two words: "happy and incredible."

The 8-year-old boy, who suffered extensive injuries after a firework exploded in his face on Mother's Day, returned home to Destin on Wednesday night.

Gianni was flown by helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola on May 11, and local rescue workers had wondered whether the boy would survive.

Gianni's recovery has gone well, 19-year-old A.J. said, but the accident has left him blind and with superficial facial scarring.

Gianni and his family had been setting off fireworks bought in Alabama in memory of the boy's mother, Dana Toce, who had passed away several years earlier from an aggressive form of cancer.

The firework that injured Gianni was about four inches long and should have been launched from a 14-inch tube, according to Gianni's father, Andre Toce. Andre Toce said the firework malfunctioned and instead of soaring about 150 feet high, it exploded on the ground in the tube. The cardboard launching tube and plastic base became shrapnel and struck the child.

The force deformed Gianni's windpipe, collapsed a lung and caused massive internal hemorrhaging. The explosion left the boy blind.

But Gianni's loss of vision hasn't slowed down the former Little League pitcher, A.J. said.

"He still thinks he can do anything he wants," A.J. said. "Nothing can break his character."

After being transferred to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami and finally released, the family visited with grandparents in Lafayette, La. There, Gianni began to feel more at ease, A.J. said. Gianni begged to go see movies with his older brother.
"He wants me to explain things to him and he laughs," said A.J., who added that they have seen "The Hulk," "Get Smart" and "Kung Fu Panda."

The brothers also went fishing a few days ago and reeled in about 20 fish.

"I took him out there and told him where the water was and where the dock was and he did it on his own for the most part," A.J. said. "There was a fountain in the water so he knew the direction to cast in."

Gianni doesn't seem to be regaining any vision, doctors have told his family. However, he has another eye exam scheduled in August. Eventually, if there's no change, A.J. said Gianni might be fitted with prosthetic eyes.

He'll also need some dental work and doctors have said Gianni will grow into his scars because he is young. There are also some cosmetic procedures that could help.

"We're not worried about the way he looks," A.J. said of his brother. "He'll always be beautiful."

A.J. said his family wants the community to know how much its support has meant to Gianni. He said all the well-wishes and prayers made a difference. A.J. also said that people should know Gianni is happy.

"People assume since he's blind he's depressed, but that's not true," A.J. said. "He's completely fine. He's absolutely incredible."
A.J. said Gianni feels his way around with his hands and a cane and has a good memory. After a few times moving around the same place, he can usually maneuver with ease.