Early signs of dementia as UK's 'youngest patient' dies at just 24 years old
Andre Yarham was just 22 years old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia, making him the youngest dementia patient in the UK.
Over the Christmas period, he sadly passed away at the age of just 24, donating his brain to science in one final act of bravery.
Andre, who hailed from Dereham in Norfolk, stunned doctors when they discovered he had the brain of a 70-year-old at 22, eventually leading him to be diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which is caused by a protein mutation.
The young man, described as having a 'heart of gold' first started showing symptoms in 2022, when his mum Sam Fairbain noticed he was growing forgetful and would often have a blank expression on his face.
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Just a year later, Andre received his shock diagnosis after an MRI scan showed he had early onset dementia.
"Andre got his official diagnosis just before his 23rd birthday," Sam recalled. "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."
Andre is among just 0.1 percent of the British population be diagnosed with any form of dementia before the age of 65.
Early symptoms of dementia
According to NHS England, some of the most common early symptoms of dementia include:
- Emotional changes
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word
- Being confused about time and places
Other symptoms can include behavioural changes, often related to extreme mood swings or bouts of anxiety and depression.
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia
The specific form of dementia Andre was diagnosed with, frontotemporal dementia, is incredibly rare and carries a few more specific symptoms.
According to the NHS website, these include:
- personality and behaviour changes, such as acting inappropriately or impulsively, appearing selfish or unsympathetic, neglecting personal hygiene, overeating, or loss of motivation
- language problems, including speaking slowly, struggling to make the right sounds when saying a word, getting words in the wrong order, or using words incorrectly
- problems with mental abilities, such as getting distracted easily, struggling with planning and organisation
Although there are no single tests to diagnose frontotemporal dementia, medical professionals can do an assessment of symptoms and mental abilities, as well as blood tests to rule out other symptoms. Brain scans can also show signs of dementia and help identify which parts of the brain are most impacted.
There's currently no cure for the disease or anything to slow it down, but there are treatments to help with some of the symptoms.
Emma Rosemurgey