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Kane County Chronicle

Volunteers needed for Geneva High School heart screening

Free cardiac screening seeks undetected defects

The Kristoffer Larsen Big Heart Memorial Foundation is seeking more than 100 volunteers for its all-day heart screening at Geneva High School on March 10, according to a news release.

Almost 900 students have signed up and 1,200 to 1,500 are expected, according to the release.

The cardiac screening is an electrocardiogram – also known as an EKG or ECG – which is a test that measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat.

The reason for the test is to check for undetected heart defects, as sports physicals detect 4% of students who are at risk and 60 young adults die each week from sudden cardiac death, according to the release.

The foundation is named for Tormod Larsen’s late son, Kristoffer, who died from an undetected heart condition in 2016 at the age of 22.

By doing these heart screenings, the foundation seeks to prevent sudden cardiac death in youth.

Geneva High School is partnering with the Young Hearts for Life Cardiac Screening Program, a nonprofit, to administer the electrocardiograms.

Volunteers should register at signup.com.

Volunteers should sign up for both a training and a screening day shift. New volunteers must attend a training program on March 9. Returning volunteers of over two years ago must sign up for a refresher.

A light lunch will be provided to all-day volunteers.

Brenda Schory

Brenda Schory

Brenda Schory covers Geneva, crime and courts, and features for the Kane County Chronicle