A TEENAGER who wanted to “change the world” will be remembered by family and friends as they mark the first anniversary of his death.

Nelson Mattison was 18 when he collapsed during a game of basketball at Barnet playing fields on July 27 last year.

Doctors said he died of an undiagnosed heart condition which he had since birth.

Nelson spent a lot of time with family friends Grace and Felix Udoh and was out with her son, his friend Mfon, on the night he died.

Mrs Udoh, 49, said: "After 8pm that night, my son Mfon called me sobbing on the phone, telling me Nelson had fainted and I needed to come to the hospital straight away.

“When we arrived the hospital, we just waited outside, as Nelson had been taken to intensive care. The doctors then came to tell us he had died. I couldn’t get put it all together, the boys had only just come back from a trip to Austria with my husband.

“When I saw him, he just looked like he was sleeping. I just thought, how is this possible? I just spoke to him."

Nelson lived with his gramdother, Hyacinth Mattison, but spent a lot of time with the Udoh family after his mother, Anthea, died when he was four.

He regularly joined them on family holidays and this year will be their first one without Nelson.

Paying tribute to the teenager, Mrs Udoh said: "Nelson had an infectious smile, you would always end up laughing with him. Nelson and my two sons Kurt and Mfon were like brothers, they were so close.

“Nelson could have been anyone, he had so much ambition. With all the gangs and bad stuff happening, he wanted to make something of himself and be somebody."

Nelson received a distinction and merit from Hoxton College and was excited to start a graphic design course at Norwich University.

Grandmother, Ms Mattison, said: “Grace was like the mother Nelson never had, like his second mum. When I talk about him, I feel better.

“I used to watch him walking to my house from the window, and see him smiling at me. I still look out for him sometimes.

“He stood up for what he believed in, he wanted to change the world and would say “the whole world is going to know about me.

“He wanted to show people that you can be from a small place, like Hackney or Barnet and still be somebody, no matter who you are, and he would say “do not let anyone tell you, you cannot be someone.

“When he could come to see me, he was always smiling. I could not be sad around him. He was always respectful.

Family and friends will mark one year since Nelson’s death, by sharing memories of him at Barnet playing fields on Wednesday July 27.