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Watch Buddy Valastro Return Home to His Family After "Nightmare" Bowling Accident

In an exclusive sneak peek at Buddy Valastro: Road to Recovery, the Cake Boss star opened up about his freak accident that left his hand severely damaged.

By Mike Vulpo Dec 22, 2020 1:00 PMTags

Buddy Valastro will do whatever it takes to bake again.

Close to three months after the Cake Boss star suffered an accident resulting in multiple surgeries on his hand, fans are getting a closer look into his journey to healing. 

On Wednesday, Dec. 23, TLC will air a two-hour special titled Buddy Valastro: Road to Recovery. And in an exclusive sneak peek obtained by E! News, viewers quickly learn just how fast the entire family mobilized to support the world famous baker. 

In the clip, Buddy arrived back home nearly 12 hours after surgery where extended family was hoping for any and all updates. After Lisa Valastro described the rod that went through her husband's hand, she couldn't help but realize how much Buddy's life had changed in a matter of minutes.

"Is this a dream?" she asked. "It's a nightmare. Never mind a dream." As for Buddy, he appeared noticeably weak as he expressed his disappointment over the accident. "I'm so so mad at myself," he recalled. "My hand is everything to me."

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Buddy Valastro's Memorable Cake Boss Desserts

Back in September, E! News confirmed Buddy was involved in a "terrible" bowling accident that left his hand impaled.

"There was a malfunction with the bowling pinsetter, a common fix in the past, but turned into a terrible accident," his rep said at the time. "After trying to release the bowling pin from the cage mechanism, his right hand became lodged and compressed inside the unit. Unable to remove his hand, he can see a 1—1/2 inch metal rod slowly and repeatedly impale his hand three times between his ring finger and middle finger."

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After five minutes, Buddy's sons, including 16-year-old Buddy Valastro Jr., helped their dad by using a saw to cut through metal rods.

When exclusively speaking to E! News on Dec. 21, the 43-year-old TV star was optimistic that his hand could continue to improve.

"They say this healing process could take up to nine months to a year because they reconnected nerves and stuff and you just don't know how they're going to grow," Buddy told E! News. "I think they're starting to work, but I just won't know until we're further down the road."

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He continued, "I'm probably going to need a couple more surgeries and intense physical therapy. I'm starting to get back a lot of what I lost but I don't know if I'm going to be 60 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, hopefully 100 percent."

And while the future looks unpredictable, Buddy said its viewers and fans alike who are keeping him motivated to keep fighting and know this is not career ending.

"I've been really optimistic," he shared. "The fans and my family have been so good, cheering me on and supporting me. Giving me the love that they've been giving me. It's made me want to do more. It's pushing me to get better."

Buddy Valastro: Road to Recovery airs Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 9 p.m. on TLC.

—Reporting by Beth Sobol