In a sad turn of events, a South African child succumbed to a terminal disease, unaware that her mother had arranged to fulfil her fervent wish - a meeting with heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan.

Seven-year-old Nicole Naicker, suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia, had a keen desire to meet the Indian film star. Her mother, Molly, contacted the Reach for a Dream Foundation to arrange for the meeting but kept it a secret from Nicole - hoping to surprise her.

Now the grieving mother is regretting never having told her child that the meeting had been arranged.

Nicole had been seriously ill and in hospital since August, after doctors diagnosed her with the disease.

The Reach for a Dream Foundation, which helps terminally ill children to realise their wishes as far as it is possible, contacted promoters of a star-studded show that Shah Rukh Khan is to attend Nov 27.

Nicole's favourite Shah Rukh Khan film was, ironically, Kal Ho Na Ho , in which the character that Khan plays also dies of a terminal disease.

"She watched a film of Shah Rukh on TV a few days before she died and commented how handsome he was, and I was bubbling to tell her about the meeting, but decided we should keep it a big secret surprise," Molly said.

"But now I feel even more hurt that she did not know. Maybe it would have given her some joy in the end."

Promoters of the show Veesham Maharaj and Mike Narsey visited the Naicker home with flowers and a message of condolence from Shah Rukh Khan.

Khan is expected to arrive on Friday in Durban with his Kal Ho Na Ho co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta and Zayed Khan, as well as Rani Mukherjee, Malaika Arora, and a huge technical crew, for the show.