GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Noah Fazekas has been the Grand Rapids Football Club goalkeeper for three years now. But a number of blood clots in his arm and lungs almost took his life during the last off season while he worked as an assistant coach at Midwestern State University in Texas.
"At the time I felt fine," said Fazekas, who is just 26 years old. "So I was in the hospital, felt fine. Just pain in my arm and stuff, and out of nowhere it hit me, and I couldn’t breathe. I had doctors and nurses rushing in, not really knowing what was going on, saying, 'Wwe can’t treat him here.' It was very scary.”
Scott Doney, one of Fazekas' players at Midwestern State and now his teammate in Grand Rapids, said the news was very shocking. "If anyone knows Noah, he’s like the life and soul of any team he’s on. So when we found out, it was a big shock. A lot of the boys were really worried about him, and then we had games to play, too, obviously, so it was a bit of a worry. But we just rallied together and knew he was going to be okay.”
After multiple surgeries to break up the blood clots, Noah was cleared by a doctor to play again. He said the experience made him realize how much he loves the game.
“The worst day on the soccer field is better than not being on the field, but being around the boys and stuff, they kept me positive most of the time. It really changed for the better, I guess, and made me realize I had took for granted the sport, and made me realize how much I loved it, and brought the passion back into the game for me a lot.”
And while everyone knows how supportive the Grand Army fanbase is, Noah said their support through his recovery is something he will never forget.
“It was just great to see their support," Doney added. "It shows they care a lot about the players and not just about the success of the team."
The boys in blue close out their regular season against Detroit FC on Friday, June 29, in Grand Rapids, where a win could help them make it into the National Premier Soccer League playoffs.