(USNewsBreak.com) – Michael Strahan is one of the most well-known names in the sports world. He played defensive end for the New York Giants for many years and earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, he’s an anchor on “Good Morning America” and a family man. He recently opened up about his daughter’s cancer battle.
On Thursday, January 11, Strahan revealed on the show that his 19-year-old daughter Isabella, a student at the University of Southern California, recently received a devastating diagnosis. Doctors found she has a rare form of brain cancer known as medulloblastoma. When detected early, it has a very high survival rate.
Isabella, who spoke with anchor Robin Roberts, said her story began in October when she began suffering from really bad headaches accompanied by nausea. She also said she couldn’t walk straight and thought vertigo was causing her symptoms. She shared her plight with her twin sister, Sophia, who took it upon herself to tell the rest of the family. Strahan took his daughter to the doctor, where medical specialists diagnosed her with cancer after her MRI results showed a 4-centimeter tumor in her brain. Strahan was the first to learn of the diagnosis, even before Isabella.
Strahan’s daughter underwent emergency surgery the following day, one day before her 19th birthday, to remove the tumor. The surgeons were successful. Following that, she had to relearn how to walk, but she doesn’t recall much of her recovery. Strahan said Isabella “was heavily medicated,” but she had a lot of support during that time, including her friends who came to visit her in the hospital.
After the surgery, Isabella had to undergo radiation therapy for six weeks. She recently rang the bell, designating her cancer-free status, and said that these days, she’s “feeling good.” In February, she will begin chemotherapy. She has also frozen her eggs, a process which she said was painful but necessary as chemo and radiation can impact fertility.
Isabella is documenting her medical journey in a YouTube series.
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