A ten-year-old boy is in critical condition after shielding his sister during a plane crash in Philadelphia.
In recent weeks, the US has endured multiple tragedies, with the Philadelphia plane crash on January 31 being one of the most devastating. A medical jet carrying a young patient and her mother crashed into a residential area in northeast Philadelphia, resulting in the death of seven people, including one individual who was in a car on the ground.
Mexico’s president confirmed on Saturday morning that all six people on board the aircraft were Mexican nationals. In total, at least 19 people were injured, including 10-year-old Andre Howard.
Andre was with his younger sister and father, witnessing the crash. Reports from 6abc Philadelphia indicate that Andre was among the first patients to arrive at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.
In an interview with 6abc Philadelphia, Andre’s distraught mother, Lashawn Hamiel, expressed her grief, saying, “My baby’s in there. It’s hard to see him like that,” as tears rolled down her cheeks. “As a mother, what am I supposed to do? But he’s good. He’s pushing through.”
Andre’s father, also named Andre, initially mistook the aircraft crash for a car accident.
“But then you see a flurry of fire in the air and then a bunch of debris shooting everywhere,” he explained.
Describing his son’s injury, he said, “My son… tells his little sister to 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.”
Despite the grim situation, Andre’s father holds onto hope.
He stated, “They pretty much told us my son wasn’t supposed to make it. Jefferson also told us that they didn’t do children’s trauma surgeries. But they did for us, which was nothing but God.”
Initially, doctors informed Andre that his son would not walk again. However, the young boy has shown remarkable overnight progress.
Expressing admiration for his son’s courage, Andre shared, “To face death yesterday and speaking today, stepping up for his sister like I trained him and his other brothers to do, off of instinct – he’s my hero.”
His mother added, “He’s strong. He’s a jokester but he’s strong… He’s a superhero.”
Medical staff are reportedly working tirelessly to keep him stable and comfortable, aiming for a full recovery.