A 24-year-old man who died with dementia over Christmas has donated his brain to science in the hope of helping other families avoid the pain of the disease. Andre Yarham, from Dereham, Norfolk, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) at age 22 after his mother noticed he was becoming forgetful and displaying inappropriate behaviour.
His mother, Samantha Fairbairn, 49, told the BBC that her son chose to leave his brain for research to prevent more families from suffering the impact of what she called a “cruel disease”. “If in the future that can help one family get a few more years with their loved ones, then that would be worth it,” she said.
Ms Fairbairn first noticed changes in her son’s behaviour in November 2022. Scans revealed unusual brain shrinkage, and he was referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where he received the FTD diagnosis. She said she felt “a range of emotions, from anger, sadness – sadness for him”. She emphasised that dementia “doesn’t discriminate against age”, adding that he “must have been one of the youngest”.
Mr Yarham entered a care home in September last year after his needs became too challenging for his family to manage. Within a month he was in a wheelchair, and a month before his death on 27 December, he lost his speech. However, his mother said he kept his “personality, his sense of humour, his laughter and his smile” until the end. His brain has now been donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for research.
“Dementia is a cruel, cruel disease,” Ms Fairbairn said. “And I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. People with cancer, they can have radiotherapy, they can have chemotherapy, and people go into remission and can lead a fruitful, memorable life. With dementia, there’s nothing.”
