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Ramesses Vazquez-Viana was conscionable 9 years aged erstwhile a medical pitchy crashed successful Northeast Philadelphia and burned astir of the young boy's body.
Six radical traveling connected the level and 2 radical connected the crushed were killed, and 2 twelve radical were injured successful the aftermath of the tragic accident, which decimated homes and cars adjacent Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue.
As 1 of the youngest survivors of the crash, Ramesses' communicative of spot and positivity has touched radical astir the country. The now-10-year-old inactive has a agelong roadworthy up of him, but 1 twelvemonth later, his betterment has been thing abbreviated of a miracle.
Here's a look backmost astatine Ramesses' journey.
"I inquire for prayers"
A fewer days aft the deadly crash, Virgen Viera identified her grandson Ramesses arsenic the idiosyncratic seen moving done the thoroughfare portion connected occurrence successful videos and photos posted connected societal media.
"In an instant erstwhile I spot him, I say, 'That's him,'" Viera told CBS News Philadelphia.
Photo of 9-year-old Ramesses, who was burned successful the Philadelphia level crash
Virgen Viera
Ramesses' dad's car caught connected occurrence aft the level crashed adjacent the Roosevelt Mall connected Jan. 31, 2025. His father, identified arsenic Steven Dreuitt, was killed. Dreuitt's girlfriend, Dominique Goods-Burke, was besides successful the car astatine the clip of the clang and died from her injuries respective months later.
Despite much than 90% of his assemblage being burned, Ramesses managed to ascent retired of the car's unfastened window. Witnesses helped get the 9-year-old to safety, and the adjacent day, helium was airlifted to a pain halfway successful Boston, Massachusetts.
"I inquire for prayers. He is beardown and my religion successful God is big," his ma posted connected societal media.
Recovery continues successful Boston
For the adjacent 4 months, Ramesses continued to combat for his beingness astatine Shriners Children's Hospital successful Boston. By May, Jamie Vazquez Viana said her lad already undergone aggregate surgeries, including partial amputations connected some of his hands.
Because of the grade of his burns, Jamie said her lad volition apt request tegument grafts for years arsenic helium grows.
"He tin perceive me. He tin spot me," she said. "He tin archer you if he's successful pain."
Photos showed Ramesses propped up successful his infirmary bed, connected to tubes and wires, wrapped successful bandages from caput to toe.
"Not everybody successful the household is comfy with seeing him similar that," Jamie said. "It's shocking."
Doctors called Ramesses endurance a miracle; lone his feet were spared from the burns.
Ramesses Vasquez Viana
CBS Philadelphia
"I'm going to enactment present until it's clip to go," said Jamie, who had respective different children inactive astatine location successful Philadelphia. "Philadelphia and everyone other has travel unneurotic for him. Continuing praying. He inactive needs it."
Back astatine home, Ramesses' classmates and teachers said it was "tough" not having their person and pupil successful class. Ramesses was successful 3rd people astatine Mastery Charter Smedley Elementary School successful Frankford erstwhile helium was burned.
Assistant Principal Danielle Nicoletti said his people kept Ramesses' table ready for the time helium could travel back, and hosted fundraisers to enactment his family.
The people sent Ramesses handmade origami cards, his favourite Philly snacks, and sold bracelets to rise money. The schoolhouse besides asked radical to grounds read-alongs of Ramesses' favourite books, and had students and unit deterioration yellowish successful his honor.
Firefighters successful Philadelphia besides collected donations for Ramesses and his household and wrote handwritten notes to beryllium delivered successful Boston."
"I consciousness blessed that I'm capable to inactive bash the things I do"
In October, Ramesses turned 10 years old. Though helium was inactive successful the infirmary successful Boston, Ramesses had tons to observe connected his roadworthy to recovery.
He started wiggling his fingers and toes, his proceeding and show improved, and aft six months, helium was capable to archer his mom, "I emotion you."
"I cried," Jamie said. "Half of Philly was crying with maine that day."
After 42 surgeries and months of aggravated treatment, Ramesses was moved to the Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Hospital successful Marlton, New Jersey, wherever helium practiced climbing stairs, getting retired of furniture and walking successful carnal therapy.
Ramesses practicing walking during carnal therapy
CBS Philadelphia
In November, Ramesses progressed truthful overmuch that helium was capable to beryllium down for his archetypal tv interrogation with CBS News Philadelphia's Wakisha Bailey.
"I consciousness blessed that I'm capable to inactive bash the things I do," helium said.
His mom, Jamie, said Ramesses remembered everything that happened the nighttime of the level crash, and that helium tried to prevention his dada from their burning car. "He said helium remembers 2 large booms — similar 2 crashes astatine once," she said. "He tried to get his dada retired of the car, but helium couldn't. His dada told him to get retired … said, 'I emotion you.' And helium said, 'I emotion you back.'"
Ramesses Vasquez Viana
CBS Philadelphia
Even successful the look of immense heartbreak, Ramesses had this connection for anyone going done hard times: "I privation them to cognize God is there," helium said. "You whitethorn not perceive him, but he's listening, and he's helping."
Home for Christmas
Eleven months aft the Northeast Philadelphia level crash, Ramesses was yet headed home. In December, Smedley Elementary celebrated Ramesses with a pep rally, wherever CBS News analogous David Begnaud helped surprise Jamie with a caller car courtesy of David Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram successful Glen Mills.
The schoolhouse was besides fixed a $50,000 cheque from Canva.
Car donated to ma of Ramesses Vazquez-Viana, kid burned successful Northeast Philadelphia level crash by CBS Philadelphia on YouTube
"I've been present for 16 years, and we've ne'er had much of a request with our students and little of a budget," Principal Caitlin Murphy said. "It couldn't person travel astatine a amended time."
While Ramesses couldn't be the solemnisation successful person, respective of his friends visited him earlier the event, wherever they laughed and joked arsenic small boys do.
Ramesses Dreuitt Vazquez was successful his family's car past January erstwhile a aesculapian transport level crashed, and the car caught connected fire. His dada and his dad's woman died from their injuries. Vazquez was saved by a stranger, but sustained burns connected 90% of his body.
CBS News
"I was praying truthful hard we'd beryllium location for Christmas," Jamie Vazquez-Viana said. "I conscionable wanted my 3 boys with me."
One twelvemonth later
After being released from Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Hospital successful December, Ramesses started schoolhouse with virtual classes a fewer days a week.
One twelvemonth aft the crash, Ramesses is backmost successful Boston for different country that'll support him successful the infirmary for astir 5 weeks.
Once home, his household tells CBS News Philadelphia that Ramesses volition spell backmost to Smedley aft helium recovers and heads location to Philly.
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