“Good Morning America” co-host Michael Strahan took an unexpected leave of absence to handle a “personal family matter” last year. The former NFL player was missing in action for nearly three weeks on the daytime talk show as well as his other gigs hosting “Fox NFL Sunday” and “The $100,000 Pyramid.” After his appearance on Oct. 26, fans were left wondering, “Where is Michael?”
Strahan has now come forth to reveal that he was taking time to process the news about his 19-year-old’s daughter’s brain cancer diagnosis.
On the Jan. 11 episode, he explained that Isabella had been complaining of extremely bad headaches, which he didn’t initially take too seriously because “she’s a college girl,” he told co-hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.
“She’s enjoying life and I didn’t think much of it.” Isabella had just started her first semester at University of Southern California last fall. As the pain got worse, her dad jumped into action to find her the best doctor “to see exactly what it is.”
Oct. 1 is when Isabella says she began also experiencing nausea and an inability to walk straight. After doing some research, she came to the conclusion that she could be suffering from vertigo.
Her condition worsened on Oct. 25, when she woke up in the wee hours of morning “throwing up blood.” Isabella says she instantly notified her twin sister, Sophia, who then notified her dad and the entire family.
“She’s always been strong and this is something that is so personal that I didn’t know if it would be something she’s want to share,” said Strahan. “I’m extrememly proud.”
“The doctor saved her life,” he explained noting that she was directed to go to Cedars-Sinai hospital “without telling her why” after the doctor reviewed her results from testing.
Doctors found a 4-centimeter tumor in the back of her brain that was larger than a golf ball. “I don’t really remember much,” the 52-year-old said, “just remember trying to figure out how to get to L.A. ASAP,” due to “GMA” being filmed in New York City. “It just doesn’t feel real.”
Isabella was officially diagnosed with medulloblastoma, which is more common in kids ages 5 to 9. Her father didn’t want to take a risk bringing her to the East Coast, so he came to be by her side after emergency surgery one day before her 19th birthday.
Today my daughter @IsabellaStrahan joined @RobinRoberts and myself for an interview about the journey she has been going through on @GMA. ❤️❤️❤️
— Michael Strahan (@michaelstrahan) January 11, 2024
I love you Isabella and I’m always by your side. To all sending love, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!
📸 ABC/Heidi… pic.twitter.com/6BjSfenPV5
Video footage shows hospital staff wearing masks while singing “Happy Birthday” to Isabella. It was a bit of an adjustment learning to do simple things such as walk again and drink water on her own.
Strahan said although she was “heavily medicated,” she had high spirits thanks to friends who came to visit at the hospital and sit with her. After surgery Isabella endured an exhausting month of rehab before moving on to several rounds of radiation treatment.
“I just finished radiation therapy which is protone radiation and I got to ring the bell yesterday, it was great,” she said. “It’s been a long six weeks,” adding that she experiences symptoms such as fatigue, some nausea, and dizziness.
Isabella got emotional when Roberts called her the “definition of a thriver,” before discussing how difficult it was keeping quiet about her condition for the past two months.
“I literally think in a lot of ways I’m the luckiest man in the world because I got an amazing daughter and I know she’s going through it, but I know that we’re never given more than what we can handle,” said her father. “And she’s gonna crush this. I need her. [I] don’t know what I’d do without her.”
Roberts then asked her co-host what he learned about himself in this time as he supports his daughter.
“You learn that you’re probably not as strong as you thought you were when you have to think about the real things, and I realized that I need support from everybody,” said the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end. “You think I’m the athlete, the tough guy … the father and the family, and it’s not about any of that. It doesn’t matter.”
Isabella is also an aspiring model who landed her first major campaign with Sephora collection. She said she’s excited and ready to begin chemo so she can restart her college experience. “You just have to keep living everyday,” she said, wise words she also heard from her sister.
The 19-year-old will begin chemo therapy in early February at Duke Children’s Hospital, whom she partnered with to document her journey and help and inspire others who have her same diagnosis via YouTube vlogs.
