Michael Strahan commended his daughter Isabella for staying strong as she receives treatment for her rare brain cancer.
The longtime “Good Morning America” anchor provided his co-anchors and viewers an update on his daughter’s health, revealing during Wednesday’s broadcast that her chemotherapy experience has “been a little rough.” Isabella, 19, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma last year.
“She’s been going through it, she’s been fighting through it,” he said, before adding that his daughter — one of his four children — has been battling a fever that “comes and goes” for the past few days.
He added: “It is tough to see her go through it, but I know she’s a tough young lady and she’s going to make it through it.”
Last month, the former football star and his daughter, whom he shares with ex-wife Jean Muggli, broke the news of her cancer diagnosis in a candid interview with Robin Roberts. During the January conversation, Strahan also explained that his daughter’s cancer battle was the cause of his weekslong absence from “GMA” last year.
According to the Mayo Clinic, medulloblastoma is a malignant brain tumor that affects the cerebellum, which is involved in muscle coordination, balance and movement. Medulloblastoma is the most common cancerous tumor found in children, but it can affect people at any age.
Since revealing her diagnosis, Isabella has kept fans and fellow cancer patients in the loop by posting vlogs to YouTube. Last month, she documented the end of her radiation therapy and said she was excited to begin chemotherapy.
“I’m ready to start, one day closer to being over,” she said at the time.
Documenting her first round of chemo, Isabella’s recent videos offered followers a look at her treatment and detailed its side effects, ranging from eye and jaw pain to headaches. “Everything hurts,” she said.
In a Wednesday vlog, Isabella opened Valentine’s Day greetings and gifts from fans and shared that her mood had improved. Still, she said her first round of chemotherapy is “one of the worst things” she’s ever had to endure.
Strahan told his co-anchors that Isabella and their family expected the healing journey to be difficult and praised his daughter for keeping a “great attitude.”
The TV personality said Wednesday that he was doing “good” amid his daughter’s cancer battle, but last month he admitted its emotional toll.
“You learn that you’re probably not as strong as you thought you were when you really have to think about the real things,” he said in January. “I realized that I need support from everybody.”
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