He was just 24. Now his final gift may help unlock dementia’s cruelest form

At 24, Andre Yarham’s dementia diagnosis confounded every assumption people make about the disease. Too young, too rare, too sudden. Yet in the final weeks of his life, his family made a decision they hope will help others understand a condition that does not discriminate by age.

Yarham, from Dereham in Norfolk, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia caused by a genetic protein mutation just weeks before his 23rd birthday. He died on 27th December at Priscilla Bacon Lodge hospice in Norwich. His brain has now been donated for research, a decision his mother hopes will help scientists better understand one of the most aggressive and least understood forms of dementia.

“Dementia is a cruel, cruel disease,” his mother, Samantha Fairbairn, said. “And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

Frontotemporal dementia accounts for a small proportion of dementia cases, affecting around one in 20 people diagnosed with the condition, according to the charity Dementia UK. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, it often strikes earlier in life and can progress rapidly.

Fairbairn first noticed subtle changes in her son’s behaviour in late 2022, shortly after her wedding. He became forgetful and occasionally behaved in ways that felt out of character. “He would set off to go to the shop and decide to get on a bus instead,” she recalled.

Initial scans at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital revealed unusual shrinkage in his brain. A definitive diagnosis followed at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, confirming frontotemporal dementia linked to a genetic mutation.

Despite the speed of the illness, Fairbairn said one thing endured. “It never took away his personality. His sense of humour, his laughter, his smile, they were still there.”

A month before his death, Yarham lost the ability to speak, communicating only through sounds. Yet his mother said his laughter remained recognisable. “You could hear him laugh,” she said.

He continued walking independently until late last summer, when his physical decline accelerated. “He walked into his care home in September. Very slowly, but he walked in,” Fairbairn said. “Just over a month later he was in a wheelchair.”

Yarham died at Priscilla Bacon Lodge hospice, where his family remained closely involved in his care. Shortly afterwards, his brain was donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital to support research into frontotemporal dementia.

“If in the future that can help one family get a few more years with their loved one, then that would be worth it,” his mother said.

Frontotemporal dementia is far less common than Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for a small proportion of diagnoses, and is known for affecting people at a younger age, often progressing rapidly and with limited treatment options, as outlined by the charity Dementia UK’s explanation of frontotemporal dementia.

Fairbairn said she chose to speak publicly for one reason. “People need to understand that dementia does not discriminate against age,” she said. “Andre must have been one of the youngest. I need people to know how cruel this disease really is.”

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[Image credit | Samantha Fairbairn, via BBC]

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