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A.J. Brown brings Lombardi Trophy to hospital to visit 10-year-old Philadelphia plane crash survivor

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•02/13/25
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Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The city of Philadelphia suffered a tragedy just a few weeks before the Super Bowl, with a devastating plane crash in the Northwestern part of the city. Seven people died in the crash and 22 others were injured. Among the injured was ten-year-old Andre Howard III. He’s been at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since debris from the January 31st crash struck his family’s car. Before the Super Bowl, AJ Brown made a promise to Howard that he was going to come visit him after the game. And earlier this week, the former Ole Miss star fulfilled that promise. Brown brought the Lombardi Trophy with him to the hospital room.

Here’s a series of tweets first with Brown’s tweet about coming to visit Howard and then, a thank you message from his mother after he came to see her son.

“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,” Brown tweeted.

Later on Thursday evening, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Twitter account posted the video of the meeting between Brown and the family. Here’s that if you wanted to see it.

Letter to AJ Brown from Lala Sayon Hamiel

After he visited, Howard’s mother, Lala Sayon Hamiel wrote a special note to Brown that she posted to Facebook. You can read it above in the tweets or typed out version below.

“Dear AJ Brown,”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for being a man of your word. By great surprise on this day my son was beyond grateful to meet you. Caught all of us by surprise. For someone ‘(ANDRE)” my son who usually talk so much, you had him smiling from ear to ear and Mute. I felt his heart pounding through his chest. The amount of love and support you gave being so patience and calling Saquon Barkley for him was beyond appreciated. Thank you for everything and bringing that WIN home for “TRE” the world’s greatest SUPERHERO. From my family to yours, I so humbly want to say thank you and we love you and want nothing but the best for yours!!!”

More on the tragic Philadelphia plane crash

There was a second tragic plane crash in the United States in a span of three days on Friday night. Learjet 55, operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, crashed into Northeast Philadelphia, causing a massive explosion. The tragic accident killed at least seven people, including two pilots, one doctor, a paramedic, a pediatric patient, and the patient’s mother onboard. There were another 22 people injured in the aftermath of the explosion.

Six people with injuries attributed to the crash were taken to Temple University Hospital–Jeanes Campus, near Northeast Philadelphia, where three were listed in fair condition and three others were treated and released, a spokesperson for Temple said.

It wasn’t clear where the patients were when the aircraft struck the ground.

The Learjet 55 departed from Northeast Philadelphia Airport en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, the FAA said in a statement on Friday evening via an article from Dennis Romero of NBC News. A spokesperson for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, Shai Gold, told NBC Philadelphia the patient was a child who had come to the USA for “life-saving treatment” and was returning to Mexico.

Shortly after the incident, Shriners Children’s Hospital issued a press release on Twitter from Mel Bower, their Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. The statement gave further insight about the people onboard the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.