Westhill ‘family’ helps student cope with his mother’s illness
STAMFORD — Last year was tough for Noldylens “Noodles” Metayer.
Metayer’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at around the time he started his junior year at Westhill High School. Metayer, who played several positions for the Westhill football team, didn’t tell anyone. Only Metayer’s football coaches and close friends knew why he was
missing practice and his grades were slipping as he opted to stay home and help his mother.
“It’s the chemo that made me really depressed,” the 18-year-old said. “Seeing her laying there in pain, it’s just sad because you really can’t do anything but sit there, watch and help...I didn’t really go to practice much. I would go home, try to help around because I know she couldn’t do much. I had to step up. I couldn’t focus in school because if I were to lose my mom, I don’t know how I would do my schoolwork. Growing up, she was my backbone. I know eventually I’m going to be on my own, but it’s a little early.”
Metayer’s mother recovered and he regained focus on school and football. But he never dealt emotionally with his mother’s diagnosis and illness. His exterior cracked during one particularly frustrating football game last October. The senior walked off the field after what he considered to be a bad call and suddenly he couldn’t breathe. He began crying in the gym.
“I try to keep everything confidential because I didn’t want people losing their focus from football,” he said. “I just left it alone. The reason I cried senior year was I just kept everything bottled up for so long and then I cried.”
Metayer said several teachers and security guards comforted him, but one surprising person also stepped up. Metayer had only met Westhill’s new Principal Michael Rinaldi a few months earlier. But he knew Rinaldi from his morning ritual of standing outside and greeting every student before school and from his motivational speeches to the football team before games. Even during his brief previous encounter with Rinaldi, Metayer remembers the principal commenting on his fun “Noodles” nickname.
But Rinaldi left his mark on Metayer by pulling him into his office the Monday after the game. Metayer said it helped him process what happened to his mother.
“I knew she was diagnosed with cancer,” he said. “I just never cried or showed emotion. It just all hit me that game like ‘wow, I could’ve lost my mom.’”
Metayer’s mother is now healthy and back to work. Metayer graduated Westhill on Friday and plans to play football at Springfield College where he’ll be a defensive back. He also hopes to study biology so he can pursue a career in medicine after seeing what happened to his mother. He credits Rinaldi for an unforgettable senior year and the Westhill community for making it possible.
“They’ve been amazing even throughout the season,” he said. “The family, the friends and the fans in the student section have just been wonderful. We’re just all one big family.”