
GMA Host’s Daughter Beat Cancer, But Her Fight Was ‘Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare’
By Movieguide® Contributor
GMA host Michael Strahan says daughter Isabella’s cancer diagnosis was “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
“As a parent, you’re scared. Oh my, you’re just scared,” he said in the new ABC special LIFE INTERRUPTED: ISABELLA STRAHAN’S FIGHT TO BEAT CANCER.
Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a common type of malignant tumor in the brain’s cerebellum, in October 2023. She had been having trouble walking in a straight line and was experiencing nausea, but it wasn’t until she threw up blood that her twin sister, Sophia, told her to go to the emergency room.
READ MORE: ‘KEEP LIVING EVERY DAY’: MICHAEL STRAHAN’S DAUGHTER REVEALS BRAIN TUMOR DIAGNOSIS
“You don’t really think the worst until you get told the worst,” the 20-year-old said in a clip from the special. “I couldn’t even process really, I was in shock.”
Michael added, “It never occurred to us that it would be cancer, I’ll be honest with you, just looking at the trajectory at that point of her life — and we have no history of anything bad in the family.”
Isabella underwent many surgeries and rounds of treatment, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In July 2024, she announced that she was officially cancer-free. In August, she returned to school at the University of Southern California.
READ MORE: MICHAEL STRAHAN’S DAUGHTER DETAILS BRAIN CANCER TREATMENT
“After the wildest 8 months, I finally got to ring the bell,” Isabella posted on Instagram, referring to the bell cancer patients ring when they are declared cancer-free. “Grateful for my journey.”
In an interview with PEOPLE, Michael said, “Her doctors feel very confident, she’s going to be fine. That’s what we’re going to hold on to, but you’re nervous every time. That will never go away but as long as the results come back positive, then we’ll live to fight another day.”
“Obviously you can’t predict what will happen and that’s a little scary,” Isabella added. “But I don’t think you can solely live in fear. I think I should live every day. Take every opportunity. I see the impact that can come from sharing my experience. I want to be a voice.”