Important work often grows quietly, through steady commitment, difficult decisions, and people who choose to turn loss into something that protects others. Across schools, families, and entire communities, heart safety and prevention are no longer abstract ideas. They’re becoming real practices, built by people who decided that tragedy would not be the final word.

In this episode of Save Heart Stories, host Dave Fritzsche, founder of SaveHeart by HeartNation talks with Tormod Larsen, co-founder of the Kristoffer Larsen Big Heart Memorial Foundation in Geneva, Illinois. After losing their son Kristoffer to sudden cardiac arrest at just 22 years old, Tormod and his family chose to honor his life by building something that would help spare other families from the same loss.

Through years of steady work, the Kristoffer Larsen Big Heart Memorial Foundation has screened more than 5,000 students and identified dozens of young people with hidden heart conditions. Their efforts extend beyond Illinois through scholarships, leadership development, and student-driven screening programs now reaching as far as Alabama.

This episode shows family at it’s finest, making the best outcome possible of the worst event imaginable. The difference being made is tangible, as one family’s tragedy continues to create protection, opportunity, and life-saving impact for thousands of others.

Takeaways

-Tragedy can become a catalyst for long-term protection

-Screenings and AED access must work together

-Early detection changes outcomes

-Awareness only matters if it leads to action

-Scholarships carry impact beyond prevention

-Youth leadership multiplies legacy

-Technology supports survival, but people sustain the mission

-Progress happens one school and one town at a time

Chapters

00:17 Introduction:

01:52 About Christopher Larsen

04:06 Mission of Big Heart

08:16 Screening Impact

10:45 Scholarship Success

13:16 Screening Process

18:20 Advancements in the fight against SCA

26:50 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

Helpful Links:

Tormod Larsen at Kristoffer Larsen Big Heart Foundation: http://www.kristofferbigheart.org/

Dave Fritzsche at SaveHeart by HeartNation: https://saveheart.life/