Andre (Trey) Howard III is being hailed as a real-life hero after he protected his sister from debris from the medical jet crash in Northeast Philadelphia last week.
The 10-year-old boy's family told NBC10 that he is making strides as he recovers from emergency brain surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
When Trey first woke up from surgery, his first concern was the safety of his sister followed by if he missed the Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl matchup.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
"Trey is making progress. He’s surprised us all you know. He’s making a lot of progress," Trey's grandfather, Shawn Hamiel, told NBC10.
Hamiel said Trey is strong and brave.
Trey was in a car with his dad and two siblings when he was hit in the head by a piece of debris back on Jan. 31, 2025. His family said that he shielded his sister from the danger. His heroic actions were praised by his idols, like AJ Brown from the Eagles. The wide receiver expressed his support for Trey on X and in a pre-game press conference Wednesday.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Speedy recovery!
— AJ BROWN (@1kalwaysopen_) February 5, 2025
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 💪🏾🫶🏽 https://t.co/pUtf2Zsoh2
Trey even got a visit from Sixers star Tyrese Maxey.
The family is grateful to everyone who have helped Trey, especially a stranger, Michael Hitchner, who took the shirt off his back to help.
"I took my shirt off. I gave it to him and said 'press this against his head. I'm going to go find an EMT or police officer,'" Hitchner explained.
Hitchner said he was driving home with his family when he saw the explosion and he ran out of his car to help anyone he could.
"He was a hero also. He saved my grandson’s life," Trey's grandfather said.
Trey's family is in the process of contacting Hitchner and said they are hopeful Trey will get healthier thanks to the kind words from his supporters.
"Dude you did good. You’re probably going to be the best human being on this planet," Hitchner said.
