Boy Injured While Protecting Sister from Philadelphia Plane Crash Learns to Walk Again, Despite Being Told He Wouldn't
Andre Howard III was in a car with his siblings and his father when the deadly crash involving a medical transportation jet in Philadelphia occurred on Jan. 31
Andre III was injured while protecting his sister from the debris, and his family was told by doctors that the child may never walk again
"You have to work hard and always protect people," a recovering Andre III told ABC affiliate WPVI almost four months after the incidentA 10-year-old boy who was injured while shielding his sister from a Philadelphia plane's falling debris almost four months ago is now speaking out about his scary ordeal and amazing recovery.
"I just saw a big fire, and my dad told me to protect my little sister, and I tried to jump on her," Andre Howard III told ABC affiliate WPVI in an interview posted on Tuesday, May 13, about his experience.
On Jan. 31, Andre III was in a car with his siblings and his father, Andre Howard Jr., when the crash — involving a medical transportation jet that left Northeast Philadelphia Airport and was heading for Missouri — occurred near a mall, WPVI reported at the time. All six people aboard the plane were killed.
Andre III's father previously told WPVI that debris was flying everywhere.
"My son … tells his little sister, 'Get down,' ' the elder Howard recalled at the time. '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.'
Andre III later said that he felt like he was experiencing a bad headache and the need to vomit when the debris struck.
A good Samaritan took off his shirt to apply pressure to Andre III's head before the police took the family to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where Andre III underwent surgery.
"They told us my son wasn't supposed to make it,' Howard Jr. told the outlet 'They also told us, 'They don't do children trauma.' But they did for us, which was nothing but God.'
Andre III was later brought to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Doctors initially told the family the child may never walk again.
But Andre III defied the odds as he underwent tests and surgeries while at the hospital. His physical therapy consisted of relearning how to walk and developing his motor skills again.
"When they first told me [I wouldn't walk], I was sad,' Andre III told WPVI in his new interview. 'But now I'm not. I can move everything."
He added, "I think it's the new me, because I got better at my game and basketball."
Andre III's family previously called the child a 'hero' for protecting his younger sister.
"To face death yesterday and speaking today, stepping up for his little sister,' Howard Jr. said around the time of the crash, "like I train him and his other little brothers to do off of instinct. He's my hero.'
Andre III's heroic deed has brought him in contact with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown and recently retired Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
As for his message to people following his experience, Andre III told WPVI: "You have to work hard and always protect people.'
The Soans Christian Academy, a Philadelphia school where Andre III and his siblings attended, had earlier launched a fundraiser to help the family.
Read the original article on People

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Swimmers rescued Sunday from waters off Plum Island remain in critical condition, officials say
'Thankfully there were a couple of good Samaritan fishing boats nearby that could get there first,' Hogg said. One swimmer, a 25-year-old from Lynn, was taken to Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport and then flown to a Boston hospital. The other swimmer, a 24-year-old from East Boston, was brought to Anna Jacques Hospital before being transferred to a Burlington hospital, according to a statement by City Marshal Matthew Simons and Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III. Both women were unresponsive when they were rescued, officials said. Advertisement 'There's no swimming in the water, but every once in a while people end up in there,' Hogg said. Swimming in the Merrimack River or off the sandbar on Plum Island Beach is prohibited as the Related : Weather in the area at the time was 'fair with haze' and the temperature was around 60 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. A 'flooding current' and small waves were also observed, US Coast Guard spokesperson Rajesh Harrilal said Monday. Advertisement One of the swimmers was pulled aboard a fishing boat and taken to shore, where she was treated by emergency responders, officials said. The second swimmer was pulled aboard a different fishing boat, which was met by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. Coast Guard crews delivered first aid and brought her to shore, officials said. 'I want to commend the swift, courageous actions of the fishermen who pulled the victims from the water and got them to first responder personnel,' Simons said. 'The quick response and continuity of care when first responders took over was nothing short of amazing.' The incident remains under investigation. Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at


Business Upturn
4 days ago
- Business Upturn
American Botanical Council Acquires Full Rights to Steven Foster Photo Library
Austin, Texas, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) announces that it has obtained ownership rights to the entire collection of medicinal and aromatic plant photographs taken by the late botanist, author, and preeminent photographer Steven Foster (1957–2022). Foster was well-known and widely respected as the author or co-author of 21 books on herbs and medicinal plants. He also wrote more than 800 articles and reviews on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, sustainable sourcing, conservation, and related subjects, including more than 100 articles and reviews in ABC's peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram. His extensive photographic library includes more than 150,000 images of more than 1,700 accurately identified medicinal and aromatic plant species. This includes Foster's photos of many native American medicinal plants, as well as other plants he encountered during his travels in countries around the world, including Argentina, Armenia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Foster was a member of ABC's Board of Trustees for more than 20 years and president for 10 years. He provided frequent and instrumental support for HerbalGram and served as a contributing editor, peer reviewer, and author of dozens of feature-length articles. He also contributed hundreds of medicinal plant photos from his extensive library, including at least 60 photos that appeared on the magazine's cover. His photography filled nearly every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991. After Foster's untimely death in January 2022, ABC continued to have access to and permission to use his photos in a variety of ABC publications and communications through a special arrangement with his estate. ABC continued to feature his photos on ABC's website, in publications of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP), and in HerbalGram , ABC's monthly newsletter HerbalEGram, ABC's weekly newsletter Herbal News & Events, and other ABC publications. Now, ABC has finalized the purchase of Foster's entire digital photo library, including full rights to all of the images. Credits to Foster's photographs will now read: 'Photo by Steven Foster ©2025 ABC.' 'For more than 40 years, Steven was a close personal friend and colleague and a primary contributor to ABC's nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs,' said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. 'Steven's intelligence, botanical knowledge, insightful and deeply informed writing, and his compelling photography were an integral part of the development and evolution of HerbalGram and ABC. 'It has been ABC's goal not only to provide authoritative, reliable, science-based information on herbs and medicinal plants, but also to show the beauty of these plants, which we have done for decades thanks in large part to Steven's incredibly beautiful photos,' Blumenthal added. 'Now, ABC has the opportunity to continue its nonprofit educational mission with Steven's photos and to help expand the herb community and general public's awareness of and appreciation for Steven's remarkable photographic legacy. ABC Art Director Matt Magruder said: 'Securing the ownership of Steven Foster's photography library is an exciting new chapter for HerbalGram and all of ABC's various programs and publications. Steven's photography has been a foundational — and visually stunning — part of the organization from early on. As a fellow photographer, I am grateful to be able to honor Steven and to continue to share his quintessential photographic legacy through ABC's stewardship moving forward.' Michael J. Balick, PhD, member of ABC's Board of Trustees and vice president for botanical science, director and senior philecology curator of the Institute of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden, said: 'I was delighted to learn that ABC has acquired the Steven Foster Photo Library. Steven's 'plant's eye view' was nothing short of extraordinary, and this is reflected in all of the artistic and scientific work that he did over so many decades. He was enthusiastic and generous about sharing his talents as a photographer and providing his guidance to anyone who asked for his advice, regardless of their level of botanical sophistication. When I invited him to illustrate the third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Springer, 2017], he provided his best work, and the photos that grace the pages of this reference book are not only useful for identification in cases of suspected poisoning, but also works of beautifully composed botanical art. We all miss Steven, who left us prematurely, and I am grateful to ABC and its donors for ensuring that this part of his legacy will endure, educating and captivating us all for many more decades.' Blumenthal noted that, at a time when people are beginning to use artificial intelligence as a source for botanical images, one primary benefit of Foster's photographs is the reliable and accurate identification of the depicted plant species. As an expert botanist, Foster properly identified the botanicals in his photos. Aside from the beauty of the photos, this benefit is a key feature of ABC's Steven Foster Photo Library. ABC featured a memorial tribute to Steven Foster in HerbalGram issue 133 and a pictorial of some of his medicinal plant photography in issue 134. A new pictorial of Foster's brilliant medicinal plant photos was just published in the current issue of HerbalGram , issue 143. In addition, ABC has named its newest award for botanical excellence after Foster, the ABC Steven Foster Excellence in Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award, which is announced each spring at the annual ABC Celebration at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Attachments Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
American Botanical Council Acquires Full Rights to Steven Foster Photo Library
The nonprofit now owns more than 150,000 images of 1,700+ species of medicinal and aromatic plants taken by famed photographer and herbal expert Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata Austin, Texas, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) announces that it has obtained ownership rights to the entire collection of medicinal and aromatic plant photographs taken by the late botanist, author, and preeminent photographer Steven Foster (1957–2022).Foster was well-known and widely respected as the author or co-author of 21 books on herbs and medicinal plants. He also wrote more than 800 articles and reviews on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, sustainable sourcing, conservation, and related subjects, including more than 100 articles and reviews in ABC's peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram. His extensive photographic library includes more than 150,000 images of more than 1,700 accurately identified medicinal and aromatic plant species. This includes Foster's photos of many native American medicinal plants, as well as other plants he encountered during his travels in countries around the world, including Argentina, Armenia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Foster was a member of ABC's Board of Trustees for more than 20 years and president for 10 years. He provided frequent and instrumental support for HerbalGram and served as a contributing editor, peer reviewer, and author of dozens of feature-length articles. He also contributed hundreds of medicinal plant photos from his extensive library, including at least 60 photos that appeared on the magazine's cover. His photography filled nearly every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991. After Foster's untimely death in January 2022, ABC continued to have access to and permission to use his photos in a variety of ABC publications and communications through a special arrangement with his estate. ABC continued to feature his photos on ABC's website, in publications of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP), and in HerbalGram, ABC's monthly newsletter HerbalEGram, ABC's weekly newsletter Herbal News & Events, and other ABC publications. Now, ABC has finalized the purchase of Foster's entire digital photo library, including full rights to all of the images. Credits to Foster's photographs will now read: 'Photo by Steven Foster ©2025 ABC.' 'For more than 40 years, Steven was a close personal friend and colleague and a primary contributor to ABC's nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs,' said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. 'Steven's intelligence, botanical knowledge, insightful and deeply informed writing, and his compelling photography were an integral part of the development and evolution of HerbalGram and ABC. 'It has been ABC's goal not only to provide authoritative, reliable, science-based information on herbs and medicinal plants, but also to show the beauty of these plants, which we have done for decades thanks in large part to Steven's incredibly beautiful photos,' Blumenthal added. 'Now, ABC has the opportunity to continue its nonprofit educational mission with Steven's photos and to help expand the herb community and general public's awareness of and appreciation for Steven's remarkable photographic legacy. ABC Art Director Matt Magruder said: 'Securing the ownership of Steven Foster's photography library is an exciting new chapter for HerbalGram and all of ABC's various programs and publications. Steven's photography has been a foundational — and visually stunning — part of the organization from early on. As a fellow photographer, I am grateful to be able to honor Steven and to continue to share his quintessential photographic legacy through ABC's stewardship moving forward.' Michael J. Balick, PhD, member of ABC's Board of Trustees and vice president for botanical science, director and senior philecology curator of the Institute of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden, said: 'I was delighted to learn that ABC has acquired the Steven Foster Photo Library. Steven's 'plant's eye view' was nothing short of extraordinary, and this is reflected in all of the artistic and scientific work that he did over so many decades. He was enthusiastic and generous about sharing his talents as a photographer and providing his guidance to anyone who asked for his advice, regardless of their level of botanical sophistication. When I invited him to illustrate the third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Springer, 2017], he provided his best work, and the photos that grace the pages of this reference book are not only useful for identification in cases of suspected poisoning, but also works of beautifully composed botanical art. We all miss Steven, who left us prematurely, and I am grateful to ABC and its donors for ensuring that this part of his legacy will endure, educating and captivating us all for many more decades.' Blumenthal noted that, at a time when people are beginning to use artificial intelligence as a source for botanical images, one primary benefit of Foster's photographs is the reliable and accurate identification of the depicted plant species. As an expert botanist, Foster properly identified the botanicals in his photos. Aside from the beauty of the photos, this benefit is a key feature of ABC's Steven Foster Photo Library. ABC featured a memorial tribute to Steven Foster in HerbalGram issue 133 and a pictorial of some of his medicinal plant photography in issue 134. A new pictorial of Foster's brilliant medicinal plant photos was just published in the current issue of HerbalGram, issue 143. In addition, ABC has named its newest award for botanical excellence after Foster, the ABC Steven Foster Excellence in Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award, which is announced each spring at the annual ABC Celebration at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Attachments Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata CONTACT: Public Relations American Botanical Council 512-926-4900 ext. 129 publicrelations@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data