A hero’s recovery: Young boy injured in Philadelphia plane crash finds his footing again

By 6abc Digital Staff

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Andre Howard was hailed a hero the moment he leapt into action to protect his little sister as a medical jet crashed in Northeast Philadelphia.

Now, just a few months later, the 10-year-old is astonishing doctors with his recovery, and inspiring many with his courage.

On January 31, a medical aircraft carrying six people crashed near Cottman and Roosevelt Boulevard. All six people on board were killed, as were two people on the ground.

Andre, who was in the car with his father, younger brother, and sister at the time, was struck by debris while trying to shield his sister from the impact.

“I just saw a big fire, and my dad told me to protect my little sister, and I tried to jump on her,” Andre recalled.

Though he doesn’t remember feeling much pain in the moment, he knew something was wrong.

“It felt like I had to throw up and I had a bad headache,” he said.

Andre was rushed to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where he spent over a month undergoing multiple surgeries and tests. His mother, Lashawn Hamiel, showed where doctors had to make incisions due to the damage from the crash.

“By the time we got to CHOP, they told us he was going to be paraplegic because he had no feeling,” she said.

But against the odds, Andre began to recover. Visits from loved ones, and even Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, lifted his spirits.

“I think it’s the new me,” Andre smiled. “Because I got better at my game and basketball.”

His physical therapy included relearning how to walk, and now he’s focused on regaining fine motor skills on his left side and tasks like brushing his teeth and tying his shoes.

“When they first told me [I wouldn’t walk], I was sad. But now I’m not,” he said. “I can move everything.”

When asked what message he wants people to take from his experience, Andre didn’t hesitate.

“You have to work hard and always protect people,” he said.

Andre got another surprise on the day of this interview: he happened to visit the station just as retired Eagles star Brandon Graham was being welcomed in the lobby.

The two got a chance to meet, and Andre shared his story of heroism and resilience – living proof of what it means to rise from tragedy.

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