“It was kind of a helpless feeling,” Cheryl McNany recalled recently, looking back on when she had just found out her son, Isaac, was denied entry to the next round of “American Idol.”

“Then we had to film the walkaway,” she said.

Cheryl, who lives in Emlenton with her husband, Frank, and two children, Isaac, 16, who goes by the stage name Isaac Cole, and Mikayla, 19, an aspiring model, said it was at that moment she was overwhelmed at how much her son had grown, not only as a musician but also as a person, and she couldn’t help but feel responsible.

After all, these were the values she and her husband have taught him for so long.

“He took it pretty well,” she said. “I was definitely proud of him. He handled it with character.”

Isaac said he didn’t want to be the type of contestant who left in a distasteful way, and his mother’s presence helped settle his nerves amid the disappointment.

“You don’t want to go out like that,” he said. “It probably would have stung a lot more if I had to leave by myself.”

The contest allowed one parent per contestant younger than 18. Cheryl said her husband would have liked to attend, but he had to work that week. She said she appreciates the opportunity.

“I feel bad for the other mothers that didn’t get to see their children (perform),” she said. “It’s certainly something I’ll never forget.”

The biggest thing she and Isaac may have gained through the experience is the new chapter of stories they now share. Cheryl said she’ll never forget the way Isaac greeted her after advancing through the second round in Hollywood.

“He picked me up and spun me around after the second round,” she said.

Not all of the stories will be as cheerful.

During the third round Isaac noticed the judges cringing at the sound of ghostly guitar tones from microphone interference, which played over top of his own.

He stopped playing to show that the instrumental wasn’t him, but continued to sing. After the judges realized the technical difficulty, they reshot the song and praised him for his professionalism.

“It ended up being a good thing, but I thought I was having a heart attack,” he said.

Cheryl said one thing she struggled with was the constant nervousness, something her son seemed to handle a little better as a natural showman. She said she may attribute the added anxiety to a familiar sensation, a lack of control in the outcome.

“I’ve always gotten more nervous for him,” she said. “Me sitting there, I was probably nervous 10 times more than he has in his whole life.”

To combat this, Cheryl did everything she possibly could, trying to think ahead for Isaac, so he could concentrate on his music and enjoy himself. Once, she caught him snacking on chips just before he was about to audition.

“I saw him eating Doritos and I was like, ‘Oh my word.’”

Isaac has orthodontic braces, and his mother pictured orange tinted chunks wedged in his teeth during a close-up.

Cheryl reached into what her children refer to as a mystic purse that holds “everything.” She found a toothbrush next to the extra guitar picks and stain remover, just in time for Isaac to look his best.

She also carries items for Mikayla. Cheryl once visited New York City with her daughter and was prepared for any possibility.

Mikayla said if there’s one thing people wouldn’t expect about her petite mother, it is that at a moment’s notice she can be as protective as any other.

Cheryl said it’s because some in the music and modeling industries treat children as if they are older than they are. She said it’s her duty to interfere when they do.

“It’s sort of what I’m here for,” she said.

One of the few times Cheryl intentionally left Isaac by himself was while he waited for a coaching session.

She went back to the hotel room to prepare for bed, and she returned to find Isaac had caused a commotion by falling asleep with his head propped on his guitar case.

“I woke up to Gianna Isabella singing a Justin Bieber song in my face and a camera crew around me, laughing,” Isaac said.

He said it was moments like those and the countless times he lost track of time that he really felt he could lean on his mother for support.

“Without her there, I would have failed at a lot of things,” he said. ‘She keeps me in line.”

Cheryl said it was a learning experience for both of them, allowing them to see their strengths and weaknesses. Cheryl said she doesn’t identify as a forward person, and she prefers to keep quiet. She said she better understands the extent of her comfort zone, and that she will have to leave her comfort zone on occasion for her son’s benefit.

“His entire life, he’s forced me out of my comfort zone to help him,” she said. “As their mom, you do your best to help them achieve everything.”

Now, thinking past the show, Cheryl said she will have to continue to push herself out of her comfort zone to support Isaac. Recently they drove 10 hours to Nashville, where he recording an album titled, “I’m Your Huckleberry.”

Cheryl and Isaac both agreed this is the next important step to take after the show.

“I believe in him,” she said. “If (the show wasn’t) the way he’ll make it, we’ll find another way.”