Young Hawks fan with Rett syndrome inspires on and off the ice

WHEATON, Ill. (WLS) -- Love for the Chicago Blackhawks goes beyond their skill on the ice. On Thursday, the family of one of Duncan Keith's biggest fans shared their excitement.

The parents of Cammy Babiarz submitted her picture as part of the #WhatsYourGoal campaign for the Blackhawks. When asked who was her favorite player, she expressed with a smile: Duncan Keith.

Cammy's family is hoping this special moment with the Blackhawks champion will raise awareness about Rett syndrome while making Cammy's hockey dream come true.

"Well I've got a surprise for Cammy," Keith says in the video released by the Blackhawks.

Her parents say it was a day they will never forget: a private skating lesson with Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith.

"She was at first, I think, super starstruck. Like, you could kind of see her like, wow, that's Duncan Keith," said Bill Babiarz, Cammy's father.

Six-year-old Cammy was diagnosed with Rett syndrome when she was 2. The neurodevelopmental disorder has left her unable to walk or talk. The disease usually affects girls, and about 1 in 10,000 is born with it.

The motto for this family is "Cammy Can" and it's now inspiring hope.

"We're fighters and we're gonna fight through this, and we needed something positive to look at every day and turn her into a little super hero," said Jackie Babiarz, Cammy's mother.

Cammy communicates with a video screen with sensors that read her eyes. She and Keith even bonded over losing teeth.

"When she lost her first tooth, we showed her pictures of Duncan without the teeth and said, 'Look, Cammy, it's ok, this happens. Duncan Keith doesn't have teeth.' And she giggled, she was so excited," Jackie Babiarz said.

The avid hockey fan has celebrated with the Stanley Cup before. She's predicting the Blackhawks win it again in six games.

Later this month, Cammy and her family will head to Boston to participate in phase two of a clinical trial to find new treatments.

For more information, visit: www.Rettsyndrome.org.