Michael Strahan revealed on his own show that his daughter, Isabella has been battling a malignant brain tumor.
During the interview, the Good Morning America anchor and his 19-year-old daughter revealed that the brain cancer is called medulloblastoma, a particularly rare diagnosis for someone Isabella’s age.
"I literally think that in a lot of ways, I'm the luckiest man in the world because I've got an amazing daughter," Strahan said. "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."
Isabella started experiencing symptoms like headaches, nausea, and dizziness in early October, during her first semester at USC. She initially thought she was suffering from vertigo, but her condition worsened on Oct. 25.
"I woke up, probably at like, 1 p.m. I dreaded waking up. But I was throwing up blood," she said. "I was like, 'Hm, this probably isn't good.' So I texted [my sister], who then notified the whole family."
Her father urged her to go to the doctor, who ran an EKG and MRI. Doctors found that she had a fast-growing four-centimeter tumor in the back of her brain, bigger than a golf ball. Isabella had emergency surgery on Oct. 27 in Los Angeles, the day before her 19th birthday.
"I don't really remember much," Strahan said. "I just remember trying to figure out how to get to L.A. ASAP. And it just doesn't feel real. It just didn't feel real."
Isabella’s condition has improved and she’s continuing treatment, including radiation, which has led to hair loss. She’s set to start chemo in February. Strahan has been by his daughter’s side during the entire process, which led to his absence from GMA and Fox NFL Sunday over the fall.
"You learn that you're probably not as strong as you thought you were when you have to really think about the real things, and I realized that I need support from everybody," Strahan said. "You think that I'm the athlete, the tough guy … I'm the father in the family. It is not about any of that. It doesn't matter. And it's really made me change my perspective on so many things in my life."
"Perspective is a big thing," Isabella added. "I am grateful just to walk or see friends or do something, 'cause when you can't do something, it like, really impacts you."
