Karen Acompora’s life changed forever when her 14-year-old son, Louis, passed away during his high school lacrosse game. Though devastated, she channeled her grief and turned it into something that would help others.
Louis Acompora was a high school freshman lacrosse goalie for Northport High School. In his first high school game on March 25, 2000, he blocked what appeared to be a routine shot with his chest protector. He took a few steps and collapsed on the field. After several minutes of unsuccessful revival attempts, he passed away from a blunt impact trauma to the chest during a critical cycle in the heart’s rhythm – a syndrome known as Commotio Cordis. To this date, no known chest protector is available on the market to prevent this tragedy from occurring.