A 10-year-old Philadelphia boy is being hailed as a superhero after he put his life on the line and used quick thinking to save his younger sister. Andre Howard was in the car with his father and siblings when a medical plane crashed in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood, killing all six passengers as well as leaving one dead and more than 20 people injured on the ground.
Howard’s dad, also named Andre, told CNN that he was driving his three children to pick up donuts when he heard a loud noise. He thought it was a car accident until he saw fire in the air and debris flying around them. He said he heard his son tell his 4-year-old sister to get down, and when turned around to check on the kids in the back seat, he was shocked by what he saw.
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“I see my unconscious son with a piece of metal in his head. I got out of the truck and put a sock on his head, and as I moved him, the metal piece fell, and he was gushing out blood,” he said.
A witness to the crash used his shirt to apply pressure to young Andre’s head until police arrived and took him to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He was then transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he remains in stable condition.
Andre’s mother, Lashawn Hamiel, told ABC 6 Action News that her son remains strong as doctors try to determine their next steps.
“He’s strong, he’s a jokester, but he’s strong. He’s a superhero,” she said.
Andre’s dad agreed, saying that he is proud of his son for protecting his sister from danger.
“Andre is my superhero,” Howard told CNN. “As a dad, I’ve always instilled in them [his two sons] to protect your sister when daddy is not around. And I’m grateful to have a son like Andre.”
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