Andre Yarham, once a vibrant young man from Dereham, Norfolk, has become a symbol of the devastating reach of dementia after his death at just 24 years old. Known as Britain’s youngest dementia patient, Andre’s story has gripped the nation and brought a rare, often misunderstood disease into the spotlight, prompting an outpouring of support and a renewed call for greater awareness and research.
Andre’s journey began in 2022, when his family started noticing subtle but worrying changes. According to BBC, his mother, Samantha Fairbairn, first realized something was amiss when Andre became forgetful, moved more slowly, and sometimes responded to conversation with a blank stare or not at all. It was a confusing and frightening time for the family. "He had a heart of gold," Sam recalled, describing her son as "a cheeky lad with a great sense of humour." But beneath the surface, something was terribly wrong.
Within months, Andre’s condition deteriorated. A consultant delivered the shocking news that an MRI scan showed Andre, then just 22, had the brain of a 70-year-old. The diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of dementia caused by a protein mutation that progressively damages the brain. This form of dementia is most commonly seen in people aged 45 to 65, but in Andre’s case, it struck at a tragically young age. As reported by LADbible, frontotemporal dementia affects only about one in 20 people diagnosed with dementia, and just 0.1 percent of the UK population are diagnosed under the age of 65. Andre was one of the rarest cases.
The impact on Andre and his family was swift and severe. As his mother explained to SWNS, "Andre got his official diagnosis just before his 23rd birthday. In that time, his speech went totally. He was just making noises. The last six months was when we started to see a very rapid decline." He needed help with everything: feeding, bathing, dressing, and even walking. Sam became his round-the-clock carer, preparing his meals, picking out his clothes, and tending to his every need. "He was moving less and less. Andre was struggling to feed himself, pick up a cup, becoming very unsteady," she said.
By early September 2025, the family made the difficult decision to move Andre into a nursing home. The decline was relentless. "He walked into his room which we'd all decorated for him. Within a month he was in a wheelchair and had to be hoisted," Sam recounted. It was a heartbreaking reversal for a young man who had once played rugby and football, enjoyed Xbox games with friends, and recently worked for Lotus Cars in Norwich. According to The Sun, Andre had left his job after six months, unable to articulate the reason for his struggles.
In December 2025, Andre’s condition took a final turn for the worse. He was hospitalized with an infection, which, as his mother described, marked "the start of a very rapid decline." He became less aware of those around him, stopped eating and drinking, and was soon placed on end-of-life care. After three weeks in hospital, Andre was moved to Priscilla Bacon Lodge Hospice in Norwich. He spent just over a week there before passing away on December 27, 2025.
Throughout the ordeal, Andre’s family remained by his side, determined to find some meaning in the tragedy. As reported by The Nightly, Sam Fairbairn spoke of the emotional toll: "I felt a range of emotions, from anger, sadness… One thing it never done until the very, very end was take away his personality, his sense of humour, his laughter and his smile." She added, "Dementia is a cruel, cruel disease, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I need people to know how cruel this disease is. He must have been one of the youngest."
With no cure for frontotemporal dementia and few effective treatments, the family made a remarkable decision: they would donate Andre’s brain to medical research. "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, as quoted by BBC and SWNS. The hope is that his case will help scientists better understand the disease and, perhaps one day, lead to breakthroughs that could spare others the same fate.
Andre’s story has underscored the often-overlooked reality of early-onset dementia. While most people associate dementia with old age, cases like Andre’s reveal that the disease can strike at any time. According to BBC, there are tests available for those concerned about memory loss or behavioral changes in loved ones, and Sam urged families to seek help from their GP if they notice warning signs. "We want to thank everyone who has shown us love and support with Andre's journey," she said, expressing gratitude for the community’s response.
The family’s openness about their experience has also highlighted the challenges faced by carers. Sam’s devotion to her son—caring for him day and night, navigating the healthcare system, and making agonizing decisions about hospice care—speaks to the resilience and love that families muster in the face of unimaginable hardship. The emotional and physical demands are enormous, and as Sam shared, the lack of effective treatments for dementia makes the journey even more daunting. "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," she lamented.
Andre’s case has already begun to raise awareness of the need for more research, better support for young patients and their families, and greater understanding of dementia’s many forms. The donation of his brain to science is a testament to his family’s hope that, out of their loss, others might benefit. As The Sun reported, Andre’s mother believes that if her son’s experience can help just one more family, it will have been worth it.
As the story of Andre Yarham spreads, it serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action. Dementia, in all its forms, remains one of the cruellest diseases, robbing individuals of their memories, abilities, and, far too often, their futures. Yet through the courage of families like the Yarahms, there is hope that greater awareness, compassion, and scientific progress are on the horizon.
