Andre Yarham, believed to be the UK’s youngest dementia patient, has died aged 24 after battling a rare and aggressive form of the disease.
Andre, from Dereham, passed away on December 27 at a hospice, just days after Christmas. He was diagnosed at 22 with frontotemporal dementia, a rare condition caused by a protein mutation that affects only a small fraction of dementia patients.
His family first raised concerns after noticing changes in his movement, speech and awareness. An MRI scan later revealed that Andre’s brain resembled that of a 70-year-old, shortly before his 23rd birthday.
Paying tribute, his mother, Sam Fairburn, described him as having “a heart of gold” and said the family made the decision to donate his brain to science to help advance research into the disease.
“There’s not enough awareness of how cruel this disease can be,” she said. “There are different types of dementia, different symptoms and different behaviours.”
She added: “We made the decision to donate Andre’s brain to medical research. If in the future, 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.”
Andre’s condition deteriorated rapidly in the final months of his life. He eventually lost his ability to speak, struggled with movement and required full-time care before being moved into a nursing home. In his final weeks, he was transferred to Priscilla Bacon Lodge Hospice, where he died peacefully.
Andre, who loved wrestling, football and video games, had previously worked for luxury car manufacturer Lotus in Norwich but was forced to leave due to his declining health.
His death places him among the smallest percentage of people in the UK diagnosed with dementia before the age of 65. His family has urged the public to seek medical advice early if they notice concerning changes in loved ones, saying early testing can make a difference.