Michael Strahan’s daughter had a difficult journey in battling and recovering after her medulloblastoma diagnosis.
According to the popular Good Morning America co-anchor and Fox NFL Sunday analyst, it was scarier than they initially thought it might be.
Michael appeared with his daughter, Isabella, on GMA earlier this year, and Robin Roberts interviewed them about the diagnosis and her journey.
As she continued her battle, Isabella shared regular vlogs on her official YouTube channel to document the journey for others.
In June, Isabella revealed she completed her final round of chemotherapy, and her doctor proclaimed her “cancer-free.”
Just recently, Michael opened up more about the difficult journey for his daughter and the family and what it helped them learn.
Michael Strahan opens up about Isabella’s cancer battle
Speaking to Town and Country, Michael mentioned it had been a “crazy year” for their family amid Isabella’s cancer battle.
That battle included three surgeries, six weeks of radiation, and four rounds of chemotherapy.
Isabella described some of that in her GMA interview earlier this year, while she covered other aspects in her five to six months of vlogs on her YouTube channel.
“The process was a lot scarier than we imagined—seeing her come out of surgery, and all the things she had to learn how to do again. You just pray that everything gets back to normal,” he told the publication.
Michael also mentioned that the challenging journey brought realizations about his daughter and their family.
“The last year is one we hope to forget, but at the same time it’s shown us a lot of important things about who she is and about who we are and about how we show up for each other as a family,” Michael said.
In addition to welcoming a grandson to the family several weeks ago, the Pro Football Hall of Famer recently celebrated his daughter Isabella and her twin sister Sophia’s 20th birthday. That included a family and friends trip to Disney, as shown in an Instagram carousel post (below).
“Happy Birthday to my baby girls, @isabellastrahan and @sophialstrahan! Can’t believe how fast 20 years have passed 😅,” the proud father captioned his post.
Michael said Isabella’s battle was ‘unsettling’ to watch at times
Following surgery to remove the brain tumor late last year, Isabella also had rehabilitation for some things many people take for granted.
Michael opened up about it being “tough and painful to watch” as his daughter went through rehabilitation to try to walk and talk again.
“It was like, ‘How soon is it going to come back?’ It was painful for her to get out of bed and move and do those things that are completely necessary for her to do. As a parent, to see that was unsettling at times,” he shared.
She hasn’t completely recovered all things yet. During their interview, Michael revealed that Isabella is “still on a journey with her vision, balance, and getting her weight back.”
However, he shared powerful advice for other parents and guardians who may have a child going through a difficult challenge.
“From a parent’s standpoint, take a positive attitude, which your child can take on. Support your child. Don’t be afraid to cry, don’t be afraid to be emotional and vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I love you.’ Don’t be afraid to say something you always wanted to say,” the GMA star said.
While it was a challenging journey, Michael, Isabella, and the rest of their family emerged stronger after the adversity.