Man who died with dementia aged 24 leaves brain to science
A 24-year-old dementia patient who died on Christmas left his brain to science.
Andre Yarham, who lives in Dereham, Norfolk, was only 22 years old when his mother, Samantha Fairbairn, went to doctors after noticing that he was becoming forgetful or behaving inappropriately. He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a rare type of disease caused by a protein mutation.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Fairbairn said her son chose to leave his brain behind and do research to prevent more families from being exposed to the effects of what she called a “cruel disease”.
“If in the future this can help a family spend a few more years with their loved ones, it will be worth it,” he said.
Ms Fairbairn, 49, first noticed changes in Mr Yarham’s behavior in November 2022 when she said he would increasingly forget things.
Scans revealed unusual shrinkage of his brain and he was transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he was diagnosed with dementia.
Ms Fairbairn told the BBC she felt “a range of emotions including anger, sadness and sadness for him”.
He added that he wanted people to be aware that dementia “does not discriminate based on age” and that he “must be one of the youngest”.
Mr Yarham went to a care home in September last year after his needs became too much for his family to meet, and just over a month later he was confined to a wheelchair.
A month before he died, he lost his speech and was only making sounds. But his mother said he retained his “personality, his sense of humor, his laughter and his smile” until the end.
He died on December 27 and his brain was donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for research.
“Dementia is a cruel, cruel disease,” Ms Fairbairn said. “And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
“People with cancer can have radiotherapy, they can have chemotherapy, and people can go into remission and live productive, memorable lives. With dementia, nothing happens.”
