A 10-year-old boy, Andre Howard, is among nearly two dozen people injured when an air ambulance carrying a pediatric patient and her mother crashed in a northeast Philadelphia neighborhood. Andre was in the car with his father and siblings when debris from the crash struck him in the head.
His father, also named Andre Howard, described the terrifying moment when they heard what they initially thought was a car crash, only to see flames and debris flying through the air. He tried to shield his family using a nearby building, but his son was struck. “My son tells his little sister, ‘Get down,’ and he grabs her. I hear the glass shatter. I turn around. There’s a piece of metal sticking out of my son’s head from the plane,” he said.
A bystander quickly used his shirt to apply pressure to the boy’s head, and a Philadelphia police officer rushed him to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital. There, doctors performed emergency surgery, even though they do not typically handle pediatric trauma cases. Initially, doctors warned the family that Andre might not survive and could be permanently paralyzed.
However, after being transported to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the boy made an extraordinary recovery overnight. His father called him a hero for protecting his little sister in the moment of crisis. “To face death yesterday and be speaking today, stepping up for his little sister like I train him and his brothers to do off instinct—he’s my hero,” he said.
Andre’s mother, Lashawn Hamiel, also praised her son’s resilience, calling him a “superhero.” Though the recovery process remains uncertain, she said he is staying strong. “It’s hard seeing him like that. As a mother, what am I supposed to do? But he’s good. He’s pushing through. He’s strong. He’s a jokester, but he’s strong,” she said.
Doctors continue to monitor his condition, working to keep him stable and comfortable. He is one of five people still hospitalized from the crash as of Sunday.