Michael Strahan‘s 19-year-old daughter, Isabella, is battling medulloblastoma. This is a a cancerous brain tumor that starts in the lower back part of the brain. The “Good Morning America” co-anchor appeared alongside his daughter as she opened up about a very intense, difficult and personal situation.
“I didn’t notice anything was off until probably, like October first,” she told Robin Roberts. “That’s when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn’t walk straight.”
Medulloblastoma Is A Rare Cancer
Isabella Strahan is a freshman at the University of Southern California and began experiencing debilitating headaches in the fall.
According to the Mayo Clinic, medulloblastoma can happen at any age, but it most often occurs in young children.
Isabella initially thought she had vertigo but as her symptoms worsened she sought full professional help.
“I woke up, probably at like, 1 p.m. I dreaded waking up. But I was throwing up blood,” Isabella said. “I was like, ‘Hmm, this probably isn’t good.’ So I texted [my sister], who then notified the whole family.”
Isabella received the medulloblastoma diagnosis and immediately underwent surgery just before her 19th birthday. Following the surgery she underwent a month of rehab which included relearning how to walk, and several rounds of radiation treatment. She is now set to begin chemotherapy next month at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in Durham, North Carolina.
On The Road To Recovery
“That’s my next step. I’m ready for it to start and be one day closer to being over,” Isabella said. “I’m very excited for this whole process to wrap. But you just have to keep living every day, I think, through the whole thing.”
As with many forms of cancer the concern is recurrence. According to studies, relapse is the most adverse prognostic factor in medulloblastoma. Relapses occur in approximately 30% of patients and are almost always fatal.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer is happy that the tumor was caught and removed and believes his daughter is strong and will persevere.
“I literally think that in a lot of ways, I’m the luckiest man in the world because I’ve got an amazing daughter,” the former New York Giants defensive end said during their interview. “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.”
Michael Strahan has four children. Daughter Tanita Strahan, and a son, Michael Anthony Strahan Jr. from his first marriage, and Isabella and her twin sister Sophia Strahan from his second marriage.
