Good Morning America viewers are surrounding Michael Strahan and his 19-year-old daughter Isabella Strahan with love and support after the father-daughter duo revealed the teen’s malignant brain tumor diagnosis. During a Thursday morning appearance on GMA, Isabella told Robin Roberts that she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in October and is set to start chemotherapy at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center next month.
“I didn’t notice anything was off ’til probably like Oct. 1. That’s when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn’t walk straight,” Isabella shared, explaining that when she woke up on the morning of Oct. 25, she “was throwing up blood. I was like, ‘Hm, this probably isn’t good.’ So I texted [my sister], who then notified the whole family.”
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After Strahan encouraged his daughter to seek medical attention and she underwent an EKG and MRI, doctors told her they discovered a fast-growing 4-centimeter tumor in the back of her brain, and she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a diagnosis that Strahan said “didn’t feel real.” Isabella, whose twin sister is Sophia, underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai to remove the tumor on Oct. 27, just a day before her 19th birthday. Following the procedure, she underwent a month of rehabilitation and several rounds of radiation treatment, Isabella telling Roberts that she “just finished radiation therapy” and “got to ring the bell yesterday.”
The teen is set to start chemotherapy at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in Durham, North Carolina, Isabella telling Roberts that while she initially kept her diagnosis secret, “I don’t wanna hide it anymore ’cause it’s hard to always keep in. I hope to just kind of be a voice, and be [someone] who people, maybe [those who] are going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at.”
News of her diagnosis and Isabella’s emotional on-screen interview alongside her father sparked a flurry of responses from GMA viewers, many of whom sent the teen well wishes and words of support.
Strahan’s ABC family sends support
Strahan and his daughter’s Thursday GMA appearance sparked support fromStrahan’s ABC family, with his GMA co-anchor Janai Norman writing online, “Sending so much love.” Katie Couric added, “Sending love and prayers to you both. And to the doctors and medical professionals at your side.”
‘Such an emotionally moving story’
‘”All the love,” shared another viewer. “What an inspiration Isabella is. Wishing her a full recovery and keep on living life Isabella.”
‘Sendinglove, prayers and positive thoughts’
“Thank you, Isabella, for sharing such a personal journey! You’ve git this,” one person commented on Strahan’s Thursday morning Instagram post. “Thank you, Michael, for letting everyone know that even you need support! Send love, prayers and positive thoughts.”
‘A true inspiration’
“Isabella is gorgeous inside and out,” journalist Tanja Babich wrote. “Your ABC Chicago family is praying for her.”
Viewers are praying ‘for healing over Isabella’
“Well, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the country,” somebody else commented on Strahan’s post. “Thanks to you and your brave daughter for sharing this story and displaying your beautiful relationship. All good wishes to her and your family.”
‘So courageous’
“So courageous to share her story,” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Thank you for your inspirational interview, and hope you can feel the love and support from your fans.”
‘Powerful segment’
“I just watched your daughter’s story on GMA and am also the parent of a pediatric cancer warrior in NC. I just wanted to say thank you for being so transparent and willing to share your story,” one person wrote. “Pediatric cancer needs so much awareness and you both are doing that. So thank you! Isabella is going to do great! Sending all of the strength and prayers to you both and to her sister. My daughter is also a twin. So I know how hard that is.”
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