A hard blow and then nothing at all. Willem van Ansem (18) lost his sight two years ago when he tried to light a broken flare during New Year’s Eve in Bakel. “I now only see light and dark. And in very good light I see a shadow. But those are things that are very big for me.”
It is New Year’s Eve 2022. Willem is lighting fireworks outside with his friends. “I still had one arrow left, the stick of which had broken off,” he says.
“I remember having my head in a bowl of water.”
“I had a cigarette in my mouth. There I held that arrow to light it. Then the arrow immediately exploded.” Willem has few memories of that moment. “I remember having my head in a bowl of water. And that I didn’t want to be with anyone else but my girlfriend.”
In his hospital bed, Willem realized that he had to switch a switch. “That it is no different. It’s a shame. But soon enough I knew I had to keep going.” Many friends and relatives came to the hospital. “I was just making jokes like always and I made everyone who was watching violently laugh.”
“It’s great that Willem remains so level-headed.”
Willem noticed during that period that not everyone could deal with the consequences of his accident so level-headed. “I accepted it better than the rest. I notice that from the reactions I get.” One of his best friends, Sten Steegs, thinks it is great that Willem remains so down to earth. “I don’t think I could do that myself.”
Willem can now distinguish between light and dark, but after his operation in the Eye Hospital Rotterdam, his eyesight was completely gone. “They said in Rotterdam that it could take a while. That this recovery takes time. It’s difficult, but not impossible.”
“If I say now that I was stupid, it doesn’t mean that I will suddenly see again.”
A year after Willem’s accident, he celebrated New Year’s Eve again with his friends. This time in the pub. “That was a bit strange. At twelve o’clock we all thought back to that moment,” says Sten. “Everyone looked at Willem.” The group of friends no longer sets off fireworks. “We have experienced it up close and know what the consequences are.”
How Willem himself looks back on the accident? “Stupid. It’s a shame that it happened like this. I can think back many times, but that doesn’t change anything. If I now say that I was stupid, it doesn’t mean that I will suddenly see again,” he sighs. “I think I’ll just skip the fireworks, just like my friends. I’ll stick to a beer. That’s much tastier.”
“Then be tough and put on fireworks glasses.”
Willem warns his peers in a campaign video by Koninklijke Visio. “I want to prevent this from happening to others. Be careful when drinking beforehand. Always wear fireworks glasses. That may look a bit strange, but be brave enough to put it on. And also pay close attention to whether people are standing too close.”
His mother Anke would prefer to show other young people what fireworks have done to her son. “Come and have a look, come along for a day. Then you’ll know what it’s like. That’s all you’re concerned with.”
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