A heroic 10-year-old boy put his life at risk to save his sister from falling debris during Philadelphia plane crash.
As God prepared David to face Goliath, He gives us strength and wisdom to act wisely in moments of danger. In this story, we see how God worked through a young boy, giving him the courage to shield his sister from harm without thinking about his own safety.
Andre “Trey” Howard III was out getting doughnuts with his father Andre Howard Jr. and his siblings on January 31 when their normal evening turned into a nightmare.
Near Roosevelt Mall in Northeast Philadelphia, a medical transport jet carrying six people crashed just a minute after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
The scene turned chaotic as plane debris started falling from the sky. In that moment, Trey acted without thinking about himself. His father Andre Howard Jr. described the scene: “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.”
The next moments were critical. While a Good Samaritan took off his shirt to help, Trey’s father used socks to stop his son’s head from bleeding.
Though Jefferson Torresdale Hospital does not usually treat children’s trauma cases, they performed the urgent surgery Trey needed.
Trey’s father recalls the gravity of that moment: “They told us my son wasn’t supposed to make it. But they did for us, which was nothing but God.”
After moving to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Trey began showing signs of recovery that amazed his doctors. When he woke up, his first concern was for his sister, asking, “Daddy, did I save my sister?”
The crash took seven lives, including everyone on the medical transport plane and one person in a car. Twenty two other people on the ground suffered injuries from the accident.
The community rallied around Trey’s family. Soans Christian Academy, where Trey and his siblings have studied since their preschool days, started raising funds to help.
Even Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown sent a message of support: “Speedy recovery! You are a Hero young man! I’m going to come see you when I get back. Hopefully with some hardware. Playing for you on Sunday my man.”
The family started a GoFundMe page to cover medical costs, therapy, and rehabilitation that insurance won’t pay for. Though doctors first worried Trey might never walk again, he keeps making progress each day.
Some good news lifted Trey’s spirits on February 11 when his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles, won Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.
From his hospital room, wearing a Saquon Barkley jersey and an Eagles championship hat, Trey joined his family in celebrating with an “E-A-G-L-E-S” chant through the hospital hallway.
Trey’s father summed up his son’s courage perfectly: “To face death yesterday and speaking today, stepping up for his little sister, like I train him and his other little brothers to do off of instinct. He’s my hero.”
Let’s keep Trey in our prayers as he continues to heal, and remember to pray for the families who lost their loved ones in this tragic plane crash.
WATCH: 10-Year-Old Hero Risks His Life to Save Sister from Falling Plane Debris
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