Britain’s Youngest Known Dementia Patient, Andre Yarham, Dies at 24 After Battle With Rare Early-Onset Disease

Britain’s youngest dementia sufferer, who had the brain of a 70-year-old, has died at the age of 24. 💔
Andre Yarham was told he had a form of early-onset dementia after his family noticed he was moving and speaking very slowly.
He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia due to a protein mutation a month before his 23rd birthday.
Frontotemporal dementia is a rare form of the disease affecting about one in 20 people with a dementia diagnosis.
Andre, from Dereham in Norfolk, passed away on December 27 in a hospice following an infection.
Mum Sam Fairbairn, 49, paid tribute to her son as having a ‘heart of gold’ and has donated his brain to science to battle the ‘cruel’ disease. 🧠
The former coach driver said: “Andre was a cheeky lad with a great sense of humour. He had a heart of gold. ❤️
“There’s not enough awareness of how cruel this disease can be. There are different types of dementia, different symptoms and different behaviours. We made the decision to donate Andre’s brain to medical research.
“If in the future, if Andre has been able to help just one more family have a precious few more years with a loved one, that would mean the absolute world.” 👏
Sam said Andre began to become forgetful in 2022 and had a blank look on his face when spoken to. Sometimes, he would ignore someone speaking to him completely, as if he hadn’t heard them talk.
Sam was then told by a consultant in 2023 after an MRI scan that her son had the brain of a 70-year-old and that he had early-onset dementia.
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