Six months in hospital lie ahead for badly burned teen

Tenmark Nielsen has been moved to the burns ward at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. Photo / Dean Purcell

Badly burned Tauranga teen Tenmark Nielsen is off a ventilator, but still faces an agonising six months in hospital.

He has been moved to the burns ward at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital where his family maintains a bedside vigil.

The 16-year-old set himself alight two weeks ago. Tenmark was flown to Auckland in a critical condition after half his body was burned.

His father, Kaisa Nielsen, burned his leg while trying to save his son.

On Friday, Tenmark finally came off the ventilator that was helping him to breathe.

Nielsen said his son would need at least seven more operations. He has already had six, including skin grafts to his arms and lower face.

"It's really hard to see my son [in hospital] but I know my son's strong," he said.

Nielsen said Tenmark had indicated he wanted to come home and tried to get out of bed.

Nielsen said Tenmark's siblings were struggling. "It's very hard. My children are not sleeping every night."

Nielsen said Tenmark had been upset at having to live in a crowded four-bedroom home and wanted to create a better life for his family by playing rugby league. "He wanted to go to Australia and play rugby league and get money to buy a bigger house for all of us."

Tenmark was in Tauranga Boys' College's first XV.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old boy was in Tauranga Hospital last night after his legs were burned by a fire in Anzac Park.

Fire communications shift commander Mau Barbara said it was believed the fire started after children were playing with methylated spirits in the park.

The boy was taken to hospital and was expected to be discharged late last night or this morning.