A woman born with a rare genetic condition has never let it limit her passion -- especially when it comes to hockey.
For Maria Baum, Saturdays mean heading to the ice rink with her dad.
“I wake up, I get dressed, and I come here and I skate,” Baum said.
It’s a weekly tradition Maria and her father, Todd Baum, have shared for years.
“So when we moved to Columbus in 2012, we’ve always told Maria you can do anything your brother can do, and her brother was passionate about ice hockey,” Todd Baum said. “And when we first moved to town, she said, I want to play hockey too, and we happened to find the Columbus Blue Jackets special hockey team. And when we came out it was just a match made in heaven. She turned out to really love ice hockey and has been playing it ever since.”
Maria Baum fell in love with the sport and has been playing ever since.
But 22 years ago, stepping onto the ice seemed unlikely.
“When she was a baby, you know, she was a failure to thrive,” Todd Baum said. “She was in need of a heart transplant. You know, all the doctors give you all the horror stories. We heard that she would never throw a ball. She’d never walk properly.”
Maria Baum was born with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic condition often linked to cardiovascular disease.
Todd Baum says those early conversations with doctors were hard.
“It’s traumatic as parents, you know, because I think doctors are telling you what can happen or the horror stories, and so you hear what they won’t do,” he said. “You hear what your child is not capable of, what they won’t do, but what they don’t tell you is what they can overcome and what they’re capable of.”
Maria eventually no longer needed a heart transplant. And now, she’s thriving on the ice.
“I love everything about it,” she said. “I like that I have teammates and my dad, and the helpers help out, and I really appreciate them supporting me and making sure I can get to my goal.”
Todd Baum says focusing on what’s possible can make all the difference.
“I think if you if you look at it as something to overcome versus something that’s preventing you from ever getting past, I think it really kind of opens your world up to what’s possible,” he said.
So every Saturday, Maria laces up her skates and hits the ice -- proving that possibilities are endless.
Williams syndrome affects fewer than 0.01% of people worldwide, and there is currently no cure.
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla.
