Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan has faced many challenging opponents in his football career, but nothing near as challenging as his 19-year-old daughter Isabella is currently facing.
Isabella bravely decided to share her battle with a malignant brain tumor known as medulloblastoma on a January 11, 2024, appearance on Good Morning America, her father seated alongside her, holding her hand for support.
Isabella, who received her devastating diagnosis in late October during her freshman year at USC, initially thought the frequent headaches she was experiencing were a result of vertigo. But when her condition took a turn for the worse to include trouble walking and nausea, the teenager knew something more was amiss.
"I woke up, probably at like 1 p.m. I dreaded waking up," Isabella told GMA's Robin Roberts. "But I was throwing up blood. I was like, 'Hm, this probably isn't good.' So I texted [my sister, Sophia], who then notified the whole family."
Her family urged her to seek medical attention. Following a series of diagnostic tests, the Strahans received the crushing news that Isabella had a fast-growing tumor in the back of her head that was about the size of a golf ball.
"I don't really remember much," Strahan said when he learned of Isabella's diagnosis. "I just remember trying to figure out how to get to LA ASAP. And it just doesn't feel real. It just didn't feel real."
One day before her 19th birthday in October, Isabella underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles to remove the tumor. She has since undergone radiation treatment and will soon begin chemotherapy.
Isabella said she decided to share her condition with the world to help others who might be going through a similar situation.
"I hope to just kind of be a voice and be [someone] who maybe are going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at," she said.
Her courage has already inspired her father.
"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 Hall of Fame defensive end told Roberts. "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."
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