Michael Strahan and his former co-star became emotional during his recent appearance on The View.
The Good Morning America anchor and Fox NFL Sunday analyst discussed his daughter’s cancer battle on Friday’s show, indicating it was a rough time for him and his family.
“You get that news, and you can’t believe it,” Strahan told The View hosts regarding the doctor’s call to inform him about his daughter’s brain cancer tumor.
“It just seems unbelievable. It just seems fake,” he told the women, including his former GMA3 co-star, Sara Haines.
Strahan said that when he found out, he was preparing to give Isabella her first car but then realized it would be a time “like no other” in their lives.
Sara spoke about how Isabella’s twin sister, Sophia, encouraged her to “deal with whatever she was dealing with.”
Michael’s co-star got emotional speaking about his daughter’s situation
Sara spoke about how Isabella needed to re-learn how to “walk, talk, and even eat on her own” after her first brain surgery to remove the tumor. From there, she had to go through a month of daily radiation, additional surgeries, medical procedures, and chemotherapy.
“The pain of a parent watching your child feel uncomfortable and deal with this type of pain. How was that for you?” Sara asked Strahan, teary-eyed.
“You’re gonna make me cry,” he shot back at her, which drew laughter from the audience.
Sara apologized to him for the emotional moment, and Strahan confessed he hadn’t watched any of his daughter’s vlogs.
Isabella documented her cancer battle through her YouTube channel. She shared update vlogs every so often after surgeries, chemo, or other life moments.
Strahan confessed that the upcoming special is ‘too hard’ to watch
Strahan said it’s difficult for him to “relive” the previous moments from his and his family’s lives regarding Isabella’s health situation.
They appear in an upcoming primetime special, Isabella’s Fight, which premieres on ABC on Wednesday. Viewers can watch it streaming online through Hulu and Disney+ a day later.
GMA exclusively revealed the special and showed a first look at the trailer this week. After watching it, Strahan told his GMA co-stars some of it was tough to watch.
“I don’t even know if I will watch this documentary after I participated and answered questions for it,” he said on The View.
In addition to Isabella and Strahan, others appear in the documentary, including his ex-wife, Jean Muggli, and daughter, Sophia. Strahan’s girlfriend, Kayla Quick, may also appear in the documentary.
“The things you learn about [Isabella]- her strength, her resilience, and her fortitude – are unbelievable,” Sara said.
She and the Pro Football Hall of Famer previously shared plenty of laughs and seemingly formed a strong bond as co-hosts of the now-defunct Strahan, Sara & Keke with third co-star Keke Palmer.
Following Sara’s remarks on The View, Michael referred to Isabella as a “special kid,” admitting that he thought he was a “tough guy” from his football days until he saw what his daughter could battle through.
Sara called the primetime special a “must-see for everyone” when it becomes available.
Isabella’s Fight premieres Wednesday, February 5, at 10/9c. on ABC.