Isabella Strahan, the 19-year-old daughter of NFL legend and “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan, shared she’s battling brain cancer on Thursday.
Isabella Strahan appeared alongside her father for an interview with Michael Strahan’s “Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts, during which the pair spoke about Isabella’s bout with medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor. She said she started experiencing headaches soon after starting her freshman year of college last fall, but she initially believed it was a case of vertigo. In late October 2023, her symptoms took a more serious turn.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis
“I woke up probably at like 1 p.m.,” she said. “I dreaded waking up. But I was throwing up blood. And my sister – I was like, ‘This probably isn’t good.’ So I texted her, who then notified the whole family.”
Her family sought medical attention, and doctors found she had developed a golf ball-size tumor that was growing rapidly in the back of her brain. She received emergency surgery on Oct. 27, the day before her 19th birthday. Following the procedure, she went through a month of rehabilitation, followed by rounds of radiation.
“So I just finished radiation therapy … I got to ring the bell yesterday,” she said. “It was great. It was very exciting because it’s been a long 30 sessions. Six weeks.”
She will undergo chemotherapy at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in Durham, North Carolina, next month. This time, she will document her experience in a new YouTube series, with proceeds going to the hospital.
“That’s my next step,” she said. “I’m ready for it to start and be one day closer to being over.”
Michael Strahan, who played 15 seasons with the New York Giants, said he considers himself the “luckiest man in the world” because he has an “amazing” daughter.
“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.”
What is medulloblastoma?
Medulloblastoma is a brain tumor that starts in the lower back part of the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although it is rare, the Mayo Clinic says it’s the most common cancerous brain tumor in children. Treatment for medulloblastoma usually includes surgery, followed by radiation, chemotherapy or both.
