Michael Strahan’s daughter, Isabella, is battling a malignant brain tumor known as medulloblastoma. An MRI scan led to the diagnosis in October 2023.
Medulloblastoma is a cancerous and fast-growing brain tumor that develops in the cerebellum, the back of the brain where movement and coordination are controlled.
The father and daughter pair revealed the emotional news during a “Good Morning America” segment with Robin Roberts on Thursday.
“Today my daughter @IsabellaStrahan joined @RobinRoberts and myself for an interview about the journey she has been going through on @GMA,” he wrote via Instagram. “I love you Isabella and I’m always by your side. To all sending love, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!”
Roberts, for her part, wrote via X, formerly Twitter: “@michaelstrahan’s daughter Isabella opens up about her brain tumor battle, with Michael telling @robinrobertsgma: “I know she’s going through it, but I know that we’re never given more than we can handle and that she is going to crush this.”
During the sit-down, the University of Southern California freshman revealed that she’s dealt with dizziness and it has been “two months of keeping it quiet, which has been difficult.”
Isabella noted that she doesn’t want to “hide” her journey. She underwent brain surgery in late October, followed by rehabilitation and six weeks of radiation treatment. In February, she will begin chemotherapy at Duke University, where her twin sister Sophia attends.
“This is something that is so personal that I didn’t know if it would be something that she would want to share,” Strahan told Roberts. “But her idea was, ‘I want to share it and I want to help other people,’ and that goes into the spirit of who she’s always been.”
At one point when Isabella began to get emotional, her dad said: “You’re allowed to cry.”
“I know she’s going through it, but I know that we’re never given more than we can handle,” he went on. “She is going to crush this.”
“I know this has been tough, but you keep living Isabella,” he added. “We love you. We’re here for you and you got this.”
The former athlete watched back the pre-recorded interview with Roberts, and further opened up about the health scare in the ABC studio on Thursday.
“It’s hard for me to even watch that. You hope your kids will never experience any kind of pain,” he said. “We are there to make sure she has the love and support that she needs. … I am thankful that you allowed her to share her story. … [Robin] I appreciate you for making her feel comfortable.”