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Britain’s Youngest Dementia Patient Dies at 24 After Rapid Early-Onset FTD

The 24-year-old’s family hope post-mortem study at Addenbrooke’s will advance understanding of rare early-onset FTD.

Overview

  • Andre Yarham, from Dereham in Norfolk, died on December 27, 2025 following an infection after a hospital stay and transfer to Priscilla Bacon Lodge hospice.
  • He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia due to a protein mutation a month before his 23rd birthday after relatives noticed slowed speech and movement.
  • A 2023 MRI showed advanced frontal lobe atrophy that a consultant compared to the brain of a 70-year-old.
  • His condition progressed swiftly, leading to a move into a care home in early September and the loss of speech and mobility, with his mother providing full-time care.
  • His brain has been donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for research; a funeral is scheduled for January 27 at Breckland Crematorium alongside a widely supported car tribute.