Santa forgets how to deliver presents in a heartbreaking advert pleading for help to defeat dementia which is now Britain’s biggest killer. 

Dementia overtook heart disease this month to become the number one cause of death.

In the award-winning film, actor Stephen Fry is calling for people to back dementia research, warning the disease can “affect anyone - even Santa”.

The touching film, re-released by Alzheimers Research UK, explains how Santa was suffering one Christmas Eve when things started to go wrong.

Stephen narrates: “He began to mix up presents and muddle names. He seemed sad, distant and afraid. Year by year things got steadily worse. Until finally, he stopped coming altogether.”

Then a little girl called Freya, who grew up in the world without Santa, is told of his fate and sets off on a journey to the North Pole with an idea of how to help.|
After gathering Santa’s elves around she explains how Santa, whose red suit has turned grey, could be fixed.

Santa’s elves change their uniforms to lab coats and start researching.

Freya then gives Santa a hug and tells him “I believe in you”.

Viewers are told: “If Santa had a disease research could find a way to fix it...Only research has the power to change the future.”

Stephen Fry said: “Many of us have been close to someone with a parent or someone they love very much in the grip of dementia.

“I remember visiting the mother of a friend in the very severe stages of dementia and seeing her not recognise her own son.

“Humans are ultimately social animals and the idea of being isolated from our social networks is as frightening as anything can be.

“Dementia is one of the most pernicious and unacceptable things that can happen and it can happen to anyone – even those most special to us.

“History has shown that dementia is no respecter of persons...Santa Forgot imagines a world where not even Santa is immune to its devastating effect.

“In the year since Santa Forgot first launched, another 200,000 people in the UK have developed dementia and they’re surrounded by families who may be struggling to cope this Christmas.

“The pace of progress is improving but research funding for dementia still lags behind...scientists need our support....”
University student, Ciana Ayre, 22, who provided the voice of the little girl, Freya, in Santa Forgot, lost her dad four years ago to early-onset Alzheimer’s.

She said: “...There will always be a hole where my dad should be.”

“The public response to Santa Forgot was amazing, especially when it was competing with big retailer adverts trying to get us to spend money on presents.


“It showed me that dementia is so close to so many people’s hearts and that Christmas is still a time for good deeds.

“I know my dad would have been proud of my role in the animation and I hope people share its important message again this year.”

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The fact that dementia has become the UK’s leading cause of death this month is a stark reminder why the messages in Santa Forgot are just as important this Christmas as they were last.

“We must support research to change the lives of people with dementia...we all have it in our power to consign dementia to the history books.”

* Some 70,366 people died from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia last year compared to around 66,076 deaths from heart disease.