Pippie, 3, was burned in a freak accident when a gel fire-lighter exploded as her father, Erwin, was starting a braai on New Year's Eve.

Anice Kruger saw her daughter burst into flames.

The next day doctors told her that Pippie was likely to die.

She has spent the past six months at her daughter's bedside in the intensive care unit of Johannesburg's Garden City Hospital, hours away from her family and her infant son in Ellisras, Limpopo. She had to give up her job as an estate agent to be with Pippie.

Yet, despite the tragic ordeal the Kruger family has faced, Anice has remained positive and energetic.

Even Pippie's plastic surgeon, Dr Ridwan Mia, recognises her mother's fighting spirit.

"Pippie clearly has her mother, Anice's, fighting spirit!" he said.

Asked how she has endured the past six months, Kruger said her Christian faith had helped her.

"When you let yourself as a mother step aside and give your child over to God, things get easier. You spend time praying and focusing on only the positive."

But it has not always been easy.

She has been to her Limpopo home for only three days in the past six months, and has been separated her from her one-year-old son, Arno.

"My parents have been raising Arno for the past six months. When I got in the ambulance I told my mom to please take over as I would not be able to."

Kruger said that to be with your child is the "best medicine" but warned parents never to forget the rest of their family who were going through the same pain.

Arno has not seen much of his sister because children under the ages of 12 are not permitted in the ICU.

He was able to see his sister Pippie for the first time this year when she celebrated her third birthday in hospital, two days before the successful skin operation.

Kruger said: "He wanted to play with her but then he touched the birthday cake and Pippie got so angry we had to take him out."

Anice's isolation will end when Pippie is discharged from the ICU and starts the long road to rehabilitation, learning to speak and walk again.

She has advice for mothers with critically ill children: "Get involved with the doctors; do research, everything. Ask, ask, ask and never give up trying. Never accept bad news."

Plastic surgeon Mia said: "Pippie is obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"She is making it known that she is not happy about that."