Ramesses Vazquez-Viana, who suffered burns to more than 90% of his body after a Learjet 55 crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, has returned home after nearly 10 months of treatment. He endured 42 surgeries, including multiple skin grafts, and lost parts of his ears and fingers. Transferred from hospitals in Boston to Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in New Jersey, he relearned basic skills before his homecoming, where the community greeted him with donations including $50,000 to Smedley Elementary and a donated car.
‘He’s Home’: 10-Year-Old Burn Survivor From Philadelphia Learjet Crash Returns After 42 Surgeries
Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty: A view of the scene after a small plane crashed in a residential area in the US city of Philadelphia on Jan. 31, 2025.
A 10-year-old boy who suffered catastrophic burns in the Jan. 31 Learjet 55 crash in northeast Philadelphia has returned home after nearly a year of surgeries and rehabilitation in Boston and New Jersey.
Ramesses Vazquez-Viana, who was 9 at the time of the crash near the Roosevelt Mall, was traveling in a car with his father, Steven Dreuitt Jr., and Dreuitt’s fiancée, Dominique Goods Burke. The Learjet crash killed six people on board and ultimately two people on the ground, leaving eight victims in all. Dreuitt died at the scene; Goods Burke later died of her injuries on April 27.
Ramesses' injuries were severe: his body caught fire and more than 90% of his skin was burned. He was airlifted to a Boston hospital where he spent roughly 10 months and underwent 42 operations, including multiple skin grafts. Some fingers and parts of his ears were amputated as surgeons worked to treat extensive facial and body burns.
GofundmeRamesses Dreuitt Vasquez
After acute surgical care in Boston, Ramesses was transferred to Weisman Children's Rehabilitation Hospital in Marlton, New Jersey, for intensive therapy. There, therapists helped him relearn basic skills, including walking and speaking, as part of a long recovery process.
"I was praying so hard we'd be home for Christmas," Ramesses' mother, Jamie Vazquez-Viana, told local reporters. Ramesses' grandmother, Alberta "Amira" Brown, said it would be "the best thing ever" for him to return to Philadelphia.
Earlier this week Ramesses returned to his Philadelphia neighborhood and was greeted by classmates, teachers and neighbors. The community rallied around the family: design company Canva donated $50,000 to Smedley Elementary, and David Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram gifted the family a new car to help with transportation needs during continued recovery.
Friends and neighbors organized fundraisers and a GoFundMe page that shares updates on Ramesses' condition and ongoing needs. The family continues to manage both the emotional aftermath of losing loved ones in the crash and the long road of medical recovery ahead.
What’s next: Ramesses will continue outpatient therapy and medical follow-up in Philadelphia as he adjusts to life at home and progresses through rehabilitation.
