A 24-year-old man who died of dementia shortly after Christmas has donated his brain to research, in the hope of helping others with the rare condition. Andre Yarham was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia just before his 23rd birthday, after initially being told he had autism.
His mother, Sam Fairbairn, noticed worrying changes in his behaviour, including talking less, losing interest in things, and no longer wanting to go to work at sports car brand Lotus. She took him to a specialist, and an MRI scan confirmed he had dementia. His brain resembled that of a 70-year-old man.
The disorder left him unable to speak, and Ms Fairbairn gave up her job to become his full-time carer. He later attended The Maltings care home in Fakenham, Norfolk, where staff praised his warmth, energy, wit and character. The centre supports adults with learning difficulties, and Andre was the face of its parent company FitzRoy’s 2024 Christmas campaign.
Last month, his condition deteriorated further and he was placed on end-of-life care. He died at Priscilla Bacon Lodge hospice in Norwich on December 27. His mother said Andre’s brain had been donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for research. “If in the future it helps one family, then that would mean the absolute world,” she said.
In a statement, Toby Sutherland, deputy manager of the care home, said: “Our dear Andre lost his courageous battle with dementia just after Christmas… Andre is such an energy, and his wit, humour and character are infectious.” He added that the team “put incredible efforts into ensuring that Andre got nothing short of the very best level of bespoke care”.
Andre’s funeral will be held on January 27 at Breckland Crematorium. More than 100 cars and motorbikes are expected to attend in his honour.
