The heartbeat of the Baron’s ’06 hockey team is going strong, despite the fact that the heart of one of its players has not been working so well.
Nicky Marez, the team's 10-year-old goalie, has not played since being diagnosed with a heart defect in December.
“I took him to the doctor for a well visit and we noticed he had high blood pressure,” Nicky’s mother Jennifer Marez recalled.
After a series of tests, doctors discovered a serious problem with Nicky’s heart.
“They noticed the aorta is not connected. It is in two pieces,” Jennifer explained.
His body adapted over the years by growing new arteries to supply blood to his body, but his heart has been overworking. Nicky had no symptoms despite the fact that doctors say he was born with this defect.
“It is like weird. I never was able to tell anything about this,” Nicky told NewsChannel 5’s Lauren Brill.
On Tuesday, Nicky’s tenth birthday, Nicky underwent open heart surgery at Akron’s Children’s Hospital. This whole journey has been emotionally draining for Nicky and his family.
“It is difficult,” Jennifer said through tears. “He has been a trooper. He is a great kid, who has a lot of heart. It just does not seem like it is phasing him much.”
Nicky’s teammates and their families have been trying to make this journey a little bit easier for Nicky and his parents.
“We made him cards. We are trying to support him. We text him. We Facetime him,” said teammate Austin Andrews.
“He’s a great friend,” Carson Joy added. “He is a big part of our team and we just need him back.”
The team is offering more than just emotional support. They’ve started aGoFundMEaccount to help offset the costs associated with the surgery.
“It has lifted such a burden off of us, to think so many people out there are willing to help,” Jennifer explained.
While Nicky’s heart may have been experiencing a weakness of sorts, the pulse of this team is still very powerful. That’s because the heartbeat of this team is not about any individual player. It is not necessarily reflected in wins and losses. It is about the love the players have for each other.
Click here to visit Nicky's GoFundME page.
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