Naomi Incorvaja, the six-year-old girl who won the hearts of many with her cheerful spirit, died early Saturday morning after losing her battle against a dilapidating illness.

Last year The Times had run a campaign to help raise money for Naomi who was diagnosed with leuco dystrophy - a rare condition which involves the progressive degeneration of the brain's white matter.

The campaign had prompted others to hold fund-raising events, but all hope was dashed after British specialists at the Great Ormond Street Hospital concluded there was no cure for this young girl's illness.

"In the past week her energy dissipated and she seemed aware that her time was up because she was giving out soft toys as presents to all those who visited her at her hospital," Naomi's mother Sandra said yesterday.

For the past year her parents have been living in the fear that their daughter's condition may take a turn for the worse but they were not expecting her to deteriorate so soon.

"In one month her health just degenerated and she would refuse to go out, not even for her physiotherapy which she thoroughly enjoyed," Mrs Incorvaja said, battling to keep back the tears.

Naomi was born completely normal and at three she had bundles of energy - but this changed overnight.

She started to lose her balance and nobody could figure out what was wrong until her trip to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

While she was in hospital Naomi won the hearts of many with her trademark smile and will to survive despite all odds.

She had an insatiable appetite for watching television and she never missed an episode of Angli - clinging on to every word uttered by her hero Gabriel, played by John Montanaro.

Mr Montanaro struck a special friendship with Naomi and he would visit her once a week.

"She adored him and whenever John visited she would moment-rily forget all her pain," Mrs Incorvaja said.

Naomi went unconscious in the arms of her hero on Friday and she never regained consciousness.

"She did more for me than I could ever do for her. Naomi was courageous beyond belief and whenever I think of how she bravely battled her illness, life takes on a different perspective," Mr Montanaro said.

Naomi will be sorely missed by the hospital nurses who had grown so fond of her as well as Isabel Debattista and her sister-in-law Colette Debattista who had organised "Naomi's Show" to raise money to help her parents deal with the expenses of caring for the girl.

The funeral will be held today at Lija's parish church at 8.30 a.m.