On January 31, 2025, a medical evacuation plane carrying six people, including a child, crashed near a shopping center in Philadelphia. The accident killed seven people and injured more than 20 others. In the midst of this devastating chaos, Andre Howard, nicknamed Tre, showed remarkable heroism, risking his life to protect his sister's. While the media hailed him as America's newest small-scale hero, Andre himself thought he had simply been doing his duty as a big brother.
Brotherly love to the point of self-sacrifice
That day, Andre and his brother and sister were with their father, Andre Howard Jr. The family usually had a Friday after-school snack at Dunkin' Donuts. But the day, usually full of laughter and fun, took a tragic turn when a sudden explosion occurred. A medical plane crashed before their eyes, throwing debris and flames into the streets and onto the surrounding cars, including that of the Howard family. “We heard a boom, a really loud boom, and we saw a fireball that covered the whole entire sky,” the father told CNN.
In that moment of absolute panic, as a rain of debris fell on their vehicle, young Andre threw himself on top of his 4-year-old sister to protect her with his body. When the father turned to his children to make sure they were all right, he discovered that Andre was lying on top of his sister with a piece of metal stuck in his head. His other son, aged 7, was sitting next to them, unharmed.
“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,” Howard recalled for CNN, trying not to cry.
Andre was quickly taken to the nearest hospital, and was going to be transferred to a pediatric center. However, his situation was too critical, so they operated immediately. The doctors alerted the family to the serious risks, including the possibility that he might never walk again. Fortunately, he made it through the surgery successfully, and is expected to make a full recovery.
“Did I save her?”
As soon as he woke up, he didn't think about his own suffering, but about his little sister. CNN reports that his first words were, “Did I save her from the crash?”
The doctors are reassuring about the little boy's state of health, as he is making steady progress. His father doesn’t take this for granted! He regularly posts news of his son, whom he considers a true “superhero,” on Facebook. And in his posts, he shows his gratitude.
“First and foremost I want to say THANK YOU FATHER GOD! What a mighty GOD we serve! Too ALL of my prayer warriors from all over the world … THANK YOU,” he posted on Facebook on February 6. “Man what a MIGHTY GOD we serve! ‘Praise God, Thank you Jesus’ is all my family has been able to say over these past 13 days!!” he added on February 13.
According to a local TV station, Tre, an Eagles fan, was also worried when we woke up that he might have missed the Super Bowl. "He asked me, 'Daddy, what's today?' I was like, 'Monday.' 'OK, wait. We didn't play yesterday did we?' 'No, you didn't miss the Super Bowl,'" his father said.
The TV station's website shows a photo of Tre days after the Eagles’ Super Bowl triumph, already back on his feet, enjoying a visit from Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
But more than the media attention, the little boy's beautiful life-saving gesture, which embodies true brotherly love, will remain forever etched in the memory of his entire family.
