By James Mahlokwane 
32m ago
Pretoria – A 9-year-old girl from Danville who suffered serious body and face burns when her home caught fire is recovering well.
A resident who heard about the plight of the family paid for her to be airlifted from Kalafong Hospital in Atteridgeville to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to have skin graft surgery done by specialists.
The family’s home burnt to the ground after a gas cylinder exploded. The electricity had been disconnected following a dispute with the City of Tshwane.
The City had cut off electricity because the family could not afford to pay the R6 000 minimum required in order to make payment arrangements for their rates and taxes, which were in arrears.
Subsequently, the family of five used a gas stove, which then exploded early this month while everyone was sleeping.
They were rescued by neighbour Hennie van Niekerk, who attached ropes to the burglar bars and pulled them off using his car.
Van Niekerk said: “We are happy the young girl has had skin transfer surgery and we hear they are now working on her face. This was devastating. My bakkie was damaged, but to me a life is worth more than property.”
The girl’s mother, Elizabeth Trollip,
was saved by her brother Franco
Trollip, who cut his right hand when he broke a window to let smoke out of the room. The other occupants of the house were found unconscious.
Trollip was praised by the community for lying on top of his sister to protect her from the flames when they could not break open the doors.
“To my family the most exciting thing was that when we went to see my sister after the surgery on Thursday, she seemed happy and was running around,” Trollip said.
Pretoria mayor Randall Williams and DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga visited the community yesterday to thank them for the role they played in saving the lives of the family.
Williams said they would assist the family and build them a new home.
Pretoria News
Credit IOL