It was during a hiking trip last year that Isabella Strahan realized she couldn’t walk in a straight line. She paid a visit to a doctor, who thought she had an ear infection. But one morning after waking up she was throwing up blood and texted her sister about it, who notified the rest of the family. Her doctors found that a tumor was growing rapidly in the back of her brain and she underwent emergency surgery days later. What followed was a painful road to recovery through radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which left her battling for life.

Isabella, the daughter of former NFL defensive end Michael Strahan, first went public with her issues in January. Since then she has been sharing updates on her recovery and was declared cancer-free in July after a successful MRI. Sharing her relief she uploaded a YouTube video saying, “Great scans, everything was clear. Cancer-free. Everything is great. I don’t have another doctor’s appointment until October.”

She returned to the University of Southern California in August, sharing a selfie with her mother as she gets to start her freshman year again. Two months ago, Isabella told Town & Country that she was “super-­grateful for walking and talking again. You don’t think of the things you can do until you live without them,” and now she is reclaiming her way of living life one step at a time as she shared another positive update.

On Christmas, the 20-year-old shared a photo of her on her IG story showing off significant hair growth. Posing in a tank top with a smile on her face, Isabella continues her progress to a healthy life. Last month, she showcased her growth in a TikTok video that showed her with a bald head before cutting to the footage of her with grown-in hair. She captioned the post, “7 months ago vs now #slay #cancer #survivor.”

The growth of hair will mean a lot to her given how in a February vlog early this year, she revealed that every other pain was bearable on a mental level except being bald. Doctors had medulloblastoma, a fast-growing malignant brain tumor, the size of a golf ball in her brain in October 2023. The road to recovery was a tough one with Isabella opening up about the struggles following her chemotherapy.

“My head hurts,” she said in a YouTube vlog in February. “I feel like I’m having a heart attack. My heart hurts. My whole mouth feels like I got one giant root canal. Every single tooth, just ripped out and not even surgically put back in. My jaw hurts, the bottom of my tongue hurts. It hurts when I gulp water.” She even joked that she “would prefer” radiation therapy having gone through the side effects of chemo.

Meanwhile, during this entire ordeal, her family stood by her and continued to lift her spirits.

In March, when the doctors did an emergency surgery on her head, removing extra fluid and inserting a titanium plate in place of a bone they cut. Michael Strahan was there for her, even arranging a rendezvous with her favorite singer, Bryson Tiller.

“I literally think that in a lot of ways, I’m the luckiest man in the world because I’ve got an amazing daughter,” said Michael Strahan while talking about Isabella Strahan’s cancer battle in a January 2024 interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts. Her twin sister Sophia has also been a strong support for her.

How Michael Strahan & his family are helping Isabella get back to regular life?

Once Isabella Strahan beat cancer, the family got together to help her become fit for everyday life. In October 2024, fans were happy to see her enjoying some quality time with her sister, Sophia, at an Alo Wellness Studio. Sophia and Isabella even embarked on a trip to Disneyland, to celebrate their 20th birthday.

However, Michael Strahan kept the big moves for the last. In November, the father-daughter duo surprised everyone with a photoshoot. They were featured on the cover of the November 2024 edition of Town and Country Magazine. It was a sweet scene, watching them pose together for the photos. Just a week before Christmas, she featured in an ad for Sephora mascara.

By winning her battle with cancer, Isabella Strahan has emerged as a mature person. Fans love seeing her in her new avatar of a positive and jolly girl, who is ready to turn her dreams into reality. Her strength is praiseworthy.