Michael Strahan’s daughter is candidly detailing her battle with a malignant brain tumor.
Isabella Strahan launched a YouTube channel Thursday documenting her cancer journey to benefit Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in North Carolina, where she will start chemotherapy in February.
In her first vlog, titled “How It Started,” the 19-year-old recalled how sick she began to feel during her early days at the University of Southern California, where she was kicking off her freshman year in the fall, and during modeling-related appearances.
When her Los Angeles-based doctor urged her to go for testing, Isabella went for an MRI that ultimately revealed her tumor.
In the vlog, the teen shares images of herself lying on a table going for her MRI as well as footage of medical personnel applying tape to the back of her head to mark where the incision would be made.
The day after her surgery, Isabella’s family brought her balloons and birthday cake to celebrate her birthday, but the footage shows she was unconscious in bed for the intimate gathering.
As her family and friends sing “Happy Birthday,” Isabella can be seen lying flat on her back in a deep sleep.
When she recovered from her surgery, Isabella had to relearn how to walk, which she shows footage of in her six-minute vlog.
Isabella and the former New York Giants player, 52, announced her devastating diagnosis on “Good Morning America” Thursday, explaining that she endured numerous rounds of radiation and a month of rehab.
“I just finished radiation therapy, which is proton radiation, and I got to ring the bell yesterday,” she told Robin Roberts.
“It was great. It was very exciting because it’s been a long 30 sessions, six weeks.”
Isabella said she is “very excited for this whole process to wrap” once she completes chemotherapy.
“But you just have to keep living every day, I think, through the whole thing,” she said.
