Michael Strahan is looking back on one of the most challenging times for his family. As we reported last year, his daughter Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancerous tumor developed at the base of the skull, in 2023.
Isabella documented her journey all throughout 2024 through her YouTube channel, eventually sharing the heartwarming update last July that she is now cancer-free.
In the latest cover story for People, both the GMA co-host and his daughter are reflecting on the last year, Isabella’s diagnosis, and her resilience through it all.
Strahan revealed to the outlet that watching his daughter, now 20, go through this cancer battle was difficult. “She was thin and tired and bald and all the things you hate to see your kid go through,” he explained. “One of the things she said, probably the hardest thing I had to hear was, ‘Dad I’ll do whatever. I want to live.’”
Through it all, he explained, he “knew” she wasn’t going to quit. “She was going to fight — and she did.” He added, “I always say she’s a lot stronger than I am.”
Isabella’s journey will be documented on upcoming ABC special, “Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan’s Fight to Beat Cancer,” set to air Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. and streaming next day Disney+ and Hulu. Check out an emotional sneak peek of the upcoming special, below.
A communications major at USC, Isabella is now back at school, getting routine cancer scans every three months for the next two or three years. Strahan expressed that her doctors feel “very confident” she’s going to be fine. He added, “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.”
As for Isabella, she expressed that while it can be “a little scary,” she doesn’t think “you can solely live in fear.” She explained in the interview, “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.”