Michael Strahan's daughter, Isabella, has spoken out after completing her chemotherapy treatment, which she underwent to combat brain cancer.
In January, Isabella Strahan went public with her medulloblastoma—a rare form of brain cancer—diagnosis during an appearance on her dad's ABC show Good Morning America. She said that she had undergone emergency surgery after doctors found a tumor "bigger than a golf ball" growing at the back of her brain.
After Isabella Strahan completed months of grueling chemo treatments, the 19-year-old's dad took to Instagram on Sunday to share a post showing her celebrating the moment with a small group of relatives and medical professionals in the hospital.
In the video footage, Isabella Strahan was shown wearing a gold paper crown as she stood surrounded by celebratory balloons that included one of superhero Wonder Woman. She then read a poem before ringing a bell in the hallway.
"Ring this bell, three times well. Its toll to clearly say, my treatment's done, this course is run and I am on my way," Isabella read, as her supporters cheered.
"@isabellastrahan you are a SUPERWOMAN!" Michael Strahan captioned the heartwarming footage, which was shared on Father's Day. "Ringing that bell finishing chemo and on your way! You continue to fight with a smile on your face, strength, and determination. I am one proud Dad! Love you, Bella."
Responding, Isabella Strahan wrote to her dad in the comments section: "Love you," punctuating her message with a red heart emoji.
A host of celebrities responded with messages of support, including Alex Rodriguez, Deborah Roberts, Lara Spencer, Erin Andrews, Olivia Munn, Boris Kodjoe, Sam Champion, and Maria Menounos, who underwent treatment for a brain tumor several years ago.
On her YouTube channel, where she has been documenting her cancer journey, Isabella Strahan documented her time at hospital for her final chemo session.
"This is a long journey, but made it," she said from her hospital bed after coming out of treatment. "And now I have to recover and get back to my usual state, which is going to take a long time. But done with treatments."
As the footage came to a close, she was shown enjoying a celebratory Waffle House meal with her family.
Over on TikTok, the teenager posted a 10-second-long clip of herself and her twin sister, Sophia Strahan, dancing to the Bryson Tiller track "Let Em' Know."
"Just finished chemo," read a caption on the screen as the sisters—whose mother is Michael Strahan's ex-wife, Jean Muggli—displayed their moves.
In announcing her brain cancer diagnosis at the start of the year, the University of California student said that she first noticed symptoms such as headaches and nausea in October. Doctors eventually diagnosed her with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor.
Since then, Isabella has been documenting her journey on YouTube. In April, she tearfully disclosed that she had to undergo a third craniotomy after developing a fever. "It's not as bad as the first time, but I'm really in pain," she said.
In another health update, Isabella shared the challenges of her recovery in a February vlog. While at home after a monthlong hospital stay, she described the intense pain and anxiety she feels during chemotherapy. "Everything hurts," she said, pressing against her head.
She also mentioned experiencing severe anxiety, saying, "I feel like I'm having a heart attack," and detailing her fears about the many potential complications, including worries about her heart and vision.
Among other symptoms she experienced was memory loss, from the medication she had been placed on.
In February, Michael Strahan said on Good Morning America that it had been helpful for his daughter to document her journey, which she started to benefit Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center in Durham, North Carolina.
"I think, for her, so many people have reached out and said, 'I'm glad you're doing this,' 'Thank you for doing this,' 'This has really helped us,' and all that support that she is getting from people she doesn't know, on top of people that she does know, has kept her in a very positive space. So, thank you to everybody," he said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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