11:27am Saturday 11th August 2007
By Diana Pilkington
Tributes have been paid to an 18-year-old girl from Mitcham who has died after nine years of illness.
Susannah Ocansey, who was in a wheelchair for the last seven years, with a multiple sclerosis type illness, had her life support machine switched off at St George's Hospital two weeks ago.
Her mum Agatha Akyigyina is a councillor in Figges Marsh ward.
She said: "Susannah was a very cheerful, kind and loving girl, who was always smiling and chatting. With all her problems, she never complained once about how ill she was.
"She just got on with life and enjoyed it."
Susannah was a pupil at St Philomena's School in Carshalton, where she was studying for an A-level in health and social care and planned to go to university.
Her family said it was obvious wherever Susannah was in the playground, because there was always a big crowd around her.
She had lots of friends and enjoyed chatting on the phone.
During her life, she met a number of celebrities, including Simon Cowell, Max Clifford and Andrew Castle. She came face-to-face with Justin Timberlake twice, after looking up his agent's number and boldly requesting a meeting.
Her sister Teresa, 27, said: "She was very cheeky and wasn't afraid to ask for things. If there was something she wanted, she believed anything was possible.
"She was just a really nice girl and could talk to anyone."
Many of her mum's colleagues were at a subdued council meeting the day Susannah died.
Coun Martin Whelton said: "At the end of the meeting all Labour councillors remained in the Council chamber to remember her, a very upsetting moment for many of us and one that cast a shadow over the whole meeting.
"My thoughts and prayers are with my colleague at this difficult time."
More than 500 people attended Susannah's funeral at St Teresa of the Child Jesus in Bishopsford Road, Morden.
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