Christophe Lafontant, beloved son, brother, godfather, uncle, cousin, and friend to many, passed away on April 27, 2025, at the age of 41.
Born on July 13, 1983, Chris was a true fighter in every sense of the word. Diagnosed with heart failure at six years old and later with the rare genetic condition myofibrillar myopathy, Chris endured more physical hardships than most could imagine, including two heart transplants, a kidney transplant, respiratory failure, a tracheostomy, and years of progressive muscle weakness.
But Chris never let his illness define him. Through his relentless spirit and hope, he made it his life’s mission to raise awareness for myofibrillar myopathy, fundraise for research, and create a sense of community for others facing this rare disease. He published a memoir, 1 Man, 3 Hearts, 9 Lives, sharing his journey of resilience and survival, and created a documentary, It Started with the Heart, produced by Sugar Beach Digital, further telling his story and inspiring others. He also built a large social media following under the name “1 Man 3 Hearts,” inspiring thousands who proudly became part of what he called the “Heart Train.”
Despite overwhelming challenges, Chris lived with courage, humor, and, most of all, heart. He believed deeply that life could be beautiful no matter the obstacles, and he lived that belief every day.
He leaves behind a family who loved him beyond measure, including his mother, Jennifer, and her longtime partner, Mitch; his father, Claude, and his wife, Natalia; his brothers, John and his wife, Gita, Claude and his wife, Tara, and Fabien; his sister, Isabelle, and her husband, Joe; and his beloved nephews and nieces, Leo, Dominic, Aleks, Vanessa, Juliette, and Cora. He also leaves behind his beloved dog, Paris.
Chris’s spirit, resilience, and compassion will live on in everyone he touched.
Visiting hours are Friday, May 2, 2025 from 4-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 9 AM at Immaculate Conception Church, 211 Summit Street, Norwood, NJ. Interment will follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.
The funeral mass can be viewed via the livestream link below: https://boxcast.tv/view/christophe-lafontant-funeral-mass-hv4yurnqcelfoix4uler
Chris taught us all that while life may break the body, it could never break his spirit. His was truly unbreakable.
Oh Chris. We will miss you. May you rest in peace. Until we meet again my friend.
Chris, I never met you, but I heard from your father many things about your extraordinary personality, the marvelous person that you use to be. I saw your eyes and see how transparent they are, with a sincere and nice miracle. I am sure that your remember will be present in many people that met you, heard you and admire you; have good trip in advance going to the eternity. The angels are waiting for you. ️☺️
I lived with him and he gave me the strength to live, to believe in myself, to be enthusiastic and to always move forward. Those who knew him know. Christophe was our beacon in the night. God, how are we going to live without him. I’ll be there for your trip. I love you like never before
Claude and Family,
Though we have not met, I wanted to extend my heartfelt condolences to you and your family on the passing of your beautiful son, Christophe. My husband, Eric, has spoken at length of the strength and character that runs through your family, and learning about Chris’s life, I understand just how deeply that strength was embodied in him.
His story is both heartbreaking and profoundly inspiring. The resilience, courage, and purpose with which he lived even in the face of unimaginable challenges speaks to a life not only well lived but powerfully impactful. Chris’s commitment to raising awareness, building community, and offering hope to others is a legacy that reaches far beyond those who knew him personally.
Please know that even among strangers, his light will continue to shine. May you find comfort in the love that surrounds you, and in the enduring influence of a son who clearly lived with great heart and meaning.
With deepest sympathy,
Angela McWilliams
Chris and I had it all planned out. I would bring the chess board & coffee, and he would tell me which moves to make on his behalf. We had a long list of movies we planned to binge, and we even discussed working together on a long form documentary. Above all else lay the foundation of a truly wonderful friendship. As much as my heart aches with his loss, I cannot begin to fathom what his family is feeling. I wish peace upon every soul that knew Chris or was lucky enough to enter his orbit. He will be greatly missed, but I assure you he will never be forgotten. Fly with the angels now my friend, I know you’re watching over us Chris. I will do my best to live up to your standards and not disappoint. I will choose kindness over anger, love over hate, and patience over aggravation. I will find my happy again. You always Tod me to find my happy. I miss you and love you dearly my friend. Rest easy and please don’t forget to haunt me. You promised ❤️️
Lior (Cheerios)
Christoff is the most amazing human being I have ever had the privilege to know and love .
Never met him nor watched his videos, but did learn about valuing or adding value to life when faced with an adverse diagnosis. Claude, his father and my deerest friend, always shared his stories in our daily conversations. Because of his shared stories, I realized that blessed are those who are giving a chance to do it right and empower others using all God-given resources as the diagnosis give us the opportunity to prepare. Because of shared stories like his, I accepted my diagonosis with the same grace I received all the blessings poured upon me in my five plus decades. Thank you Chris inspiring and empowering others and thanks to your parents for laying the foundation for the influencial human being you became.
Dear Jennifer and Family,
It was an immense pleasure and inspiration to have known Christophe. His positive spirit was immensely uplifting. He so beautifully and selflessly was a guest author at our book club (in Southern Maryland). Before our Zoom meeting, he signed members’ books. During the meeting, Chris was so honest and open with our group about his journey. He truly packed a lifetime of love, positivity and inspiration in such a short time. We will all desperately miss him. Rest in Peace now.
Christophe,
I am honored to have met you. You were a true friend, an inspiration, and an absolute legend. Till we meet again brother. Love you!
Rest in Heavenly Peace.
You truly were an angel on earth.
With our deepest condolences,
What an inspiration for so many. Praying for his eternal rest, and for his family during this difficult time.
Darling Chris. One of the most amazing men I have ever met. Rest well my friend .❤️
You were an angel here on Earth, Christophe. Always had a kind word and such a positive outlook on life despite the challenges life threw at you. May God bless you and give you eternal peace.
Chris……..I just can’t find words. To say that I miss you is a complete understatement. I am so blessed to have been able to call you my friend. I thank God every single day that Eleni brought us together and we shared YEARS of amazing memories.
I will never ever, ever, ever forget you. I love you… until we meet again…..
Kira
My sincerest condolences to your family & friends fam. You will truly be missed.
Rest easy
Christophe,
You were such a genuinely kind and compassionate person. It was a privilege to be your friend and part of your heart train family.
Sending love and prayers, your friend,
Julie
Our condolences to you all. We all loved you cuz, those near, and those of us far away who saw you less frequently . Your beautiful spirit shone in every interaction and your strength was an inspiration to all .
We loved you yes, but God loved you best.
Christophe, you had an indescribable way to connect with everyone who was lucky enough to meet you. In your presence, we all felt your heart which was pure and beautiful. May you fly swiftly with the other angels. Your impact on this world will never be forgotten.
My deepest condolences to his family and for his dear friend, Crystal who is also my friend. I had the privilege of meeting Christophe and being able to dance with him at various restaurants in NJ. He was always in such high spirits and ready to enjoy life and party! He was an inspiration for me and he actually would come into my breathwork meditations with messages of gratitude and strength beyond words. I was deeply touched by his social media messages of encouragement and love. I am so sorry to hear of his passing and my heart and soul goes out to all who loved him.
It was a great privilege to care for Mr. Lafontant. I will always remember his endurance. Our time together was meaningful, and l am grateful for the connection we shared. He will be deeply missed
To my darling Christophe : “May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.” May we meet again my darling. Thank you for the wonders and inspiration you bought to our lives over 4 decades. With gratitude and love always.
Chris, I am saddened that you are no longer with us. God has gained another Angel. Many blessings. You will always be in my heart. Love you! Pop
To Jennifer & the LaFontant Family:
My deepest condolences for the loss of Christophe. He was also known to me as “Compi” and I was “Comai” to him. We loved him from day one, as a son. He certainly was a special person. I love you, “Compi”. Rest in heavenly peace, son.
What an inspiration to those who met him. An amazing strong human being with all that he endured.
My thoughts are with you all at this loss and sad time.
Chris, words will never be able to fully express how much you mean to me. You were the most inspirational and amazing person and brought such a bright light into my life. We had so much fun together. We met at a time when we were both going through things, you had just gone back on dialysis, and I was in nursing school and had my own life things going on. We were such rocks for each other. You gave me life and kept me alive and going strong. We spoke every day and built each other up. I was enamored with you from the moment I met you and started reciting numbers in Spanish (cringe) in your hospital room. Then you told me you wrote a book. Everything I learned about you took me by such surprise and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I had and have never met anyone else like you, you are truly unique and one of a kind. My cancer twin. My Rocky. I hope you can hear me talking to you now and I hope that you are at peace. I wish I was texting you this instead of writing it on this forum. I will never comprehend why you were taken from all of us at this time. We all need you still. It isn’t fair. You had so much more to give, to receive, to teach, people to help, fun to experience, love and happiness to share. I love you Krizztoffeeee, ROCKY. I will never stop thinking of you, hearing your voice replay in my mind, and seeing your smile. My sincerest condolences and love to your family, Jenny, Isabelle, Claude, Fabien, Laurent, and anyone else I missed or haven’t met. Your light will never leave any of us. Rest in peace my rolling trophy. Love always, Amanda, aka your Russian doll.
I am beyond grateful that our paths crossed and that I had the privilege of meeting this angel on earth, Christophe, in 2010. His unwavering love, radiant positivity, and kind spirit touched so many lives, including mine. He truly made the world a brighter place just by being in it.
My deepest prayers go out to his family and friends—may you find peace and comfort in the incredible memories and love he left behind. Christophe will be forever missed, but never forgotten.
My sincerest condolences,
His ‘Sweet Maryland girl’ — JWalk
I had the privilege of caring for Christophe when he was a child and later as a young man in MSCHONY. He was definitely one of my favourite patients! I loved his smile , which I will always remember especially the smile when Jennifer and I sneaked his puppy into the ICU !
Rest in peace dear Chris , you will always be remembered.
Dear Dr Lafontant,
I’m really sorry to hear of Chris’s passing.
He was an incredibly special person and one of my favorite patient. May he rest in peace and give you and the rest of the family strength and comfort at this difficult moment
Love
Betsy
Dear Natalia and Claude,
We were so saddened to hear about Chris. Although we never had the chance to know him personally, learning about his incredible courage, kindness, and all that he shared with the world truly touched us. Please know we are holding you and your family close in our thoughts and hearts during this difficult time.
With all our love and deepest sympathy,
Raquel, Sebastian, and Juan Carlos
Dear Beloved Family and friends of Christophe.
Christophe has changed my world. He was such an inspirational man. he will be missed dearly.
I never got a chance to meet him in person. but i was a follower of his heart train family on youtube.
He was so incredibly kind and generous, and had an infectious spirit, that will remain with me always.
he changed my life.
With warmest regards, and deepest sympathy
Love always
Zoe A
Dear beloved family and friends of Christophe, I send you my heartfelt condolences. Christophe was a very courageous young man who inspired everyone who knew him. As a fellow dialysis patient, I can say that he inspired me every day with his smile which told me he was fighting every single day even when he wasn’t feeling well. I will miss him as I’m sure everyone who knew him at dialysis will. Rest in peace my dear friend. Hugs to his mom Jennifer and family. Much love.
My angel muffin soul pie friend love you
Please accept our deepest condonlences, and may peace and prayers be with you at this time.
The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood