Human Interest Real People Real People Family Dynamics Buddy Valastro Is Thankful for 'All the Extra Family Time' on First Thanksgiving After Hand Injury On Sept. 20, Buddy Valastro was fixing the pinsetter in his home bowling alley when his right hand was impaled by a metal rod By Ana Calderone Ana Calderone Ana Calderone is the Digital Food Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 26, 2020 01:00PM EST Buddy Valastro had a hard year after he was injured in a terrible bowling accident — but he's still giving thanks this Thanksgiving. "I'm thankful for all the extra family time I've had with my wife and kids," Valastro tells PEOPLE of his wife, Lisa, and their kids, Sofia, 17, Buddy Jr., 16, Marco, 13, and Carlo, 9. On Sept. 20, as Valastro was fixing the pinsetter in his home bowling alley, his right hand became lodged in the machine and a metal rod impaled his hand multiple times between his ring finger and middle finger. He's undergone three surgeries so far and has been struggling with numbness and limited motion in two of his fingers as recovers at home in Montville, N.J. The pastry chef — who is currently starring in the Food Network series Buddy vs. Christmas — is celebrating turkey day with a "more intimate dinner this year vs our traditional extended family get together," he says. "This is thankfully a busy time for the bakery so Lisa handles the cooking and I bring home the desserts." Buddy Valastro recovering at home in New Jersey with his family. Buddy Valastro/Instagram Buddy Valastro Details His Recovery Struggles After Brutal Hand Accident: 'I Can Hold a Fork' Valastro spoke to PEOPLE earlier this month about his recovery and how instrumental Lisa has been in getting him through it all. "My wife has been amazing. She's been a trooper," he says. "We're going on 20 years now, and I think that we kind of checked all the boxes. But after you have an injury like this, and your wife helps you dry you out of the shower, that crosses another level." "You get to really know each other, and love each other and be there for one another,” he continues. Getty Fans will get a more in-depth look at his life post-accident in the upcoming two-hour TLC special, Buddy Valastro: Road to Recovery, premiering Dec. 23. Buddy Valastro's Doctor Thought He Could Lose His Hand After His Accident: 'She Was Petrified' "When we did Cake Boss many years ago, it was my home and my family, but it was really more about my bakery, where I feel like this has my bakery, but it also has my home, my work, and my wife and kids," he says. "It's a different glimpse of who we are. And the thing is you look at where my kids were on Cake Boss, they were babies. And now my daughter's driving. It's crazy."