Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal poses for a photograph with his father Michael and mother LeAnn outside of the field house at Abington Heights High School in South Abington Twp. Monday, October 12, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ quarterback Noah Kayal is flushed from pocket by Scranton Prep’s Elijah Myers on Friday, Oct. 2, 2206 at Dunmore High School. (JESSE CAREY / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Scranton Prep defenders Richard Dewey (16) and Elijah Myers (55) pursue Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal (14) in the first quarter Friday, Oct. 2, 2206 at Dunmore High School. (JESSE CAREY / CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Abington Heights’ Noah Kayal. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Noah Kayal likes hanging out with friends. He scarfs down chicken wings and pasta, and when he gets the chance, he plays a mean Spikeball game.
He’s also Abington Heights’ starting quarterback.
He’s a teenager who loves life because he has never known life to not be a gift. That is why no amount of adversity seems to dim his bright outlook.
As an infant, Kayal was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer occurring in roughly 2 out of ever 1 million children.
It has been more than 16 years since those anxious days and weeks. Noah is 18 years old and cancer-free. By comparison, the levels of adversity he has faced during his athletic career seem minuscule. This season, he has put an ankle injury behind him and is determined to finish strong.
“Every day, I live like every other teenager,” Noah said. “I go to school, spend time with my teammates, and work hard on my schoolwork. I try to be a good human being and treat everyone the way I would want to be treated. I live by that. I left cancer behind. I don’t try to bring too much attention to that. I have my whole life ahead of me, and I have big things to look forward to.
“I enjoy every moment.”
— — —
Early in his career as a cardiologist, while he worked long on-call hours, Dr. Michael Kayal, DO, remembers one night placing his infant son Noah on his chest to watch a New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game.
He noticed Noah was short of breath, then vomiting from his bottle.
Something was not right.
Dr. Kayal and his wife LeeAnn sought immediate care for their child. His symptoms and an enlarged belly sent his frightened family on a journey for answers.
It led them to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. After a lengthy examination, the medical team delivered the diagnosis: cancer.
“When I heard the word ‘cancer,’ I was shocked,” said LeeAnn, a nurse practitioner. “You hear of others getting cancer or being diagnosed with cancer, and at that moment, it was a very difficult time in life. We didn’t know how to navigate something like having a baby with cancer.”
Only 15 months old, Noah had a biopsy. He underwent 10 blood transfusions. There were multiple cycles of chemotherapy.
After doctors initially considered a liver transplant, Noah instead underwent a hepatic lobectomy to remove the tumor.
The family remained resilient, navigating a flood of emotions while their hearts raced and anxiety heightened. They spent long hours in the hospital.
Following the operation, Noah’s body began the lengthy recovery process.
“We prayed a lot,” Dr. Kayal said. “We hoped that the treatment would overcome the cancer. We knew that kids recover better than adults. Recovery from the type of cancer Noah had was more favorable than what doctors first feared he had. It was hard because I was in training, but the hospital was only a few miles away. LeeAnn, with her nursing background, was sensational being with him minute-by-minute. The care he received was fantastic.”
Noah had exams and blood testing every three months in the years that followed. After five years of support from his parents, older sister, Madison, younger brother, Nathanael, and younger sister, Abby, he was declared cancer-free.
“My family was unbelievable,” Noah said. “I got crazy support. I look back at my life now, and I think, what if my kid gets diagnosed with cancer? It takes so much time away from what they planned in life. Madison was like another parent to me. My parents had to work, too.
“It showed me how much they loved me, and that was beautiful. They deserve all the credit.”
Being so young, Noah has only vague memories of the cold hospital room during his harrowing experience.
One thing has always been clear: he loved football.
His parents took a cautious approach. Noah needed special padding to protect his liver from contact. Nothing was going to stop him.
“When Noah committed to football, there was no holding him back,” Dr. Kayal said. “We knew that he would not enjoy life without the game.”
Growing up, Noah had only a few side effects from his surgery. He doesn’t have a gallbladder and has slight hearing loss.
He competed in multiple sports, but football was always his priority.
As a freshman, Noah played in 10 games in the Abington Heights secondary. He contributed 30 total tackles and had two fumble recoveries as the Comets reached the District 2 Class 5A championship game.
In 2024, he again had 30 tackles and an interception, helping Abington Heights win the district title over Delaware Valley.
Last season, now a vocal and inspiring leader, Noah showed his unshakeable confidence.
Quarterback Nick Bradley, the program’s all-time leading passer, suffered an injury. Veteran head coach Joe Repshis turned to Noah, who embraced the challenge.
“When I heard Nick was out, I knew that the kids in the school and community were going to say that the season was over,” Noah said. “I was ready. I am a tough kid. I knew that I could do this with my brothers behind me.”
In his first start, Noah completed 14 of 23 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown and ran for 50 yards and a touchdown. The Comets lost, 28-14, but their new signal caller calmed any nervousness about the team’s ability to succeed.
Over the next three weeks, Noah led Abington Heights to three wins, including a pivotal and emotional win over Scranton Prep. He finished with 539 passing yards and 108 rushing yards.
Abington Heights fell short of the ultimate goal, however. Delaware Valley defeated the Comets in the district final.
That sent Noah and his teammates into the offseason with focus. Noah was excited for his senior season and taking over as the full-time starting quarterback.
In the opener against Allentown Central Catholic, Noah suffered a high ankle sprain. The discomfort and pain sidelined him for a month.
“In the beginning, right after it happened, with the adrenaline, it didn’t seem too bad,” Noah said. “I thought I would be out for eight weeks. It was hard. It got on me because it was my senior year. But through physical therapy, I gradually felt better, and I got my confidence back. I was excited when I could finally come back and play.
“I feel much better now.”
An injury would not discourage Noah, who had already conquered a daunting life setback.
His return to the lineup has been slow. Abington Heights battled but lost to North Pocono and Scranton Prep, the top teams in the Lackawanna Football Conference. Clinging to a District 2 Class 5A playoff spot, Noah and his teammates responded with a win over Wallenpaupack, recharging the locker room energy heading into the home stretch.
— — —
In the weeks ahead, Noah’s playing days will wind down. He hopes to go to college and study in the science field.
Soon, his parents will walk out onto the field with him on Senior Parents’ Day. It will be an emotional event for them all.
“The kid, I will tell you, he’s a fighter,” Dr. Kayal said. “If there was a kid who could get through what he has, it was Noah. That night that he got injured was disappointing. We sat down, and we discussed that he was going to tackle this like he has everything else in life. He committed to the therapy.
“I couldn’t be more proud and mostly happy for him. It’s been a wild roller coaster with a lot of lows and highs where you have to manage your emotions. Life is going to create challenges, and we are passing on those experiences and how to deal with them. It’s not how many times you get knocked down; it’s how you get back up and fight.”
Certainly, tears will be shed. Their son defied the odds.
“When I see Noah and what he has overcome, it amazes me,” LeeAnn said. “I am not surprised where he is now. He has always been this determined son. He has grit, and he is tough. He knows that adversity makes him stronger and that setbacks are part of life’s journey.
“I see that in him every day he wakes up. He takes that attitude out onto the field. I love him.”
For Noah, he’s had a treasured life.
“I look at life, maybe a little differently,” Noah said. “I will try to enjoy it even more. I don’t take anything for granted. When I see other kids who are struggling with something, anything that might be off physically, I think I am one of those people too. I keep in the back of my mind that it is OK. Everyone has something going on.
“That is the beautiful thing about life. That’s my story.”
Compete for a Cause
The Abington Heights Football Program has partnered again with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Through this partnership, 100% of donations collected will go directly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. These donations will help to ensure that a life-changing wish becomes a reality for a child in Lackawanna County.
The team’s 2026 Pediatric Cancer Awareness Game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. against Delaware Valley. Donations can be made at the game or online by visiting the Abington Heights Football Program’s fundraising page at https://wish.org/greaterpawv/comets-compete-cause. Click for the link to the team’s fundraising page.
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