Andre Yarham, from Dereham, was just 22 when his mother, Samantha Fairbairn, noticed changes in his behaviour, including forgetfulness and inappropriate actions. After medical evaluations, he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a rare and aggressive form of the condition caused by a protein mutation.
Speaking to the BBC, Ms Fairbairn explained that Andre chose to leave his brain to science as a way of contributing to research that could extend the lives of others facing the disease. “If this can help just one family gain more time with their loved ones, it will have been worth it,” she said.
Andre’s condition progressed rapidly. By September, he required care in a nursing home, and within weeks, he needed a wheelchair. In the month before his death, he lost his ability to speak, though his mother says he retained his personality, humour, and smile until the end.
He passed away on 27 December, and his brain has now been donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for research into dementia.
“Dementia is a cruel disease,” Ms Fairbairn said. “Unlike cancer, where treatments can put people into remission, dementia leaves families with no hope of reversal. Andre wanted to make a difference for others, even after he was gone.”
