Thursday, December 5 at 21:26
Short version
- Lars Olav Karlsen (48) reports that he has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer that has spread to the liver and stomach.
- Karlsen became well-known through the TV series “Heia Tufte”.
- In a post on Facebook, he wrote that there is “no hope of recovery”.
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– It has gone relatively fast, the tumor was discovered in October, and about 4-5 weeks ago I was told that the spread made it non-operable, he writes on Facebook.
Lars Olav Karlsen (48) became nationally known when he participated in the reality show “Heia Tufte”. In recent years, he has been an active football fan and autograph hunter.
VG spoke with him when he was hunting for Barack Obama’s autograph in 2009.
– I have been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, with spread to the liver and stomach. Simply put, this means there is no hope of recovery. Now it’s just about slowing the spread with chemotherapy every 14 days provided that it effectively works, he writes and adds:
– The doctors give me about 1 year, but if I am lucky with the type of cancer and treatment, I might hope for 2-3 years. However, I don’t feel that my luck is very high these days, he writes.
Karlsen is known to football enthusiasts as the leader of the supporter club “Oljeberget” for the Norwegian national team.
The participants of ”Heia Tufte” warmed the hearts of Norwegian TV viewers. In 2005, the 15 “nerds” were named “Name of the Year” by VG’s readers.
<img alt="Here is Lars Olav Karlsen during a match at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo." class="_image_e3l64_72 layout-component layout-normal" data-fullscreen-sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 2000px, 2000vw" data-track-element-type="Article image fullscreen" data-track-name="ImageFullscreen" decoding="async" loading="lazy" height="960" itemprop="image" sizes="(min-width: 980px) 980px, 100vw" src="https://akamai.vgc.no/v2/images/5e21cf57-72de-48f7-b400-5064e129f86d?format=auto&w=40&s=fed2f90e6391aa933d6005ff564a49ddc47fea2b" srcset="https://akamai.vgc.no/v2/images/5e21cf57-72de-48f7-b400-5064e129f86d?format=auto&w=40&s=fed2f90e6391aa933d6005ff564a49ddc47fea2b 40w, https://akamai.vgc.no/v2/images/5e21cf57-72de-48f7-b400-5064e129f86d?format=auto&w=80&s=b0faeb0a0e
Karlsen has approved VG to write about his update.
He thanks for the support he has received after being diagnosed with cancer.
– The reason I write this publicly is that I find it so heavy to inform people one by one when they are polite and ask how things are going and are not prepared for such a grim answer. I am blessed with many wonderful people around me, and what I want most of all is for things to be as normal as possible – despite the fact that I am very tired and worn out from the treatment.
He writes that it would be nice to receive good hugs.
– But due to the chemotherapy,my immune system is weak,and if I catch even the simplest flu,it could be fatal – so I must reluctantly abstain from that.
– But I have my humor, I love to laugh and have fun.
during the 2023 Municipal and County Council elections, Karlsen was a candidate for the Christian Democratic Party in Grimstad.
– I know many pray for me and my family,and that means a lot to me. I have always believed that the medical science we have in Norway is fantastic – but the onyl one who can remove the impossible is God.
in 2006, Karlsen participated in a new series with the “Heia Tufte” gang:
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I’m sorry to hear about Lars Olav Karlsen’s diagnosis. It’s certainly a tough situation to be in, especially receiving such news about cancer. His story seems to highlight the importance of awareness around health issues, and it can resonate with many people who have faced similar challenges. If you want to discuss this further or need information about cancer awareness, support systems, or anything else, feel free to ask.