Fresh out of high school, NBA legend and Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan’s daughter Isabella had just started a new journey at the University of Southern California. Little did she know that one more chapter was waiting for her, that would change her life forever. But there were hints that something was not going well.

“I had headaches. It’s not like headaches. I was dizzy,” Isabella had said during an appearance on her dad’s show on GMA. Also, “The biggest thing is that I could not walk in a straight line. Every time I was walking, I could not walk in a straight line. So I thought I had vertigo.” As Isabella can recall, that was around October 1, last year. However, things took an ugly turn in New York City, where she was supposed to have a photoshoot.

“I woke up, probably at like 1 p.m. I dreaded waking up. But I was throwing up blood,” she said. “I was like, ‘Hmm, this probably isn’t good.’ So I texted [my sister], who then notified the whole family.” She was rushed to the hospital, an MRI scan showed a fast-growing tumor of the size of a golf ball toward the end of October last year.

According to Mayo Clinic, her condition, called Medulloblastoma is the most common type of cancer found in children. The symptoms Isabella noticed are typical of the disease as it affects the equilibrium and coordination area of the brain. Isabella underwent an emergency surgery just the day before her 19th birthday on October 28 to remove the tumor. Following that, after a rigorous journey through radiation and chemotherapy, she came out triumphant over cancer this summer and resumed her academic ambitions following a year’s interruption.

As she got a new life, almost defying death, Isabella is now celebrating her life to the fullest. As succinct proof of that, the New York Giants Super Bowl-winning defensive end’s daughter shared a heartwarming 14-year-old memory. Taking to her official Instagram handle, Isabella shared the touching throwback snap on her IG story. It showcased two photos of her with her twin sister, Sophia, and her horse, one when they were 6 years old and the other “14 years later.” Notably, horseriding was not just a hobby for Isabella.

Thanks to spending plenty of time with her mother on a farm in Wilmington, North Carolina, during her childhood years, Isabella became quite the accomplished equestrian. She and Sophia took part in competitions and can boast of a couple of blue ribbons. They were in barrel racing and pole bending, among others. Isabella even got to show off her horsemanship when she was featured in an advertisement for wedding videographer Weddings by Tiberious in 2023.

Amid her cancer diagnosis and treatment, Isabella started riding again. After finishing radiation therapy, as she started to prepare herself for the chemotherapy ahead, she tried to return to a sense of normalcy. In a vlog from February 2024, Isabella showed clips of her singing karaoke and taking her horse for a ride.

Talking to The Carolinas Equestrian in 2019, Isabella’s mother, Jean Muggli, explained how the barn and the horses had always been the heart of the farm. “We made it a comfortable place to spend our time and enjoy our horses. Whenever we throw parties, they always happen at the barn,” she said. Now the horses have become a vital part of Isabella’s healing journey.

Through this post, cancer survivor Isabella, who grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina also highlighted her impressive hair growth. In one of her vlogs, she shared that the hair loss started pretty quickly after she began radiation therapy and she was upset to see herself. “I couldn’t even look at myself because it was worse than probably not having hair,” Isabella said. But after about two weeks of radiation therapy, she couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to shave it all off in the middle of the night with the help of her sister.

But after that, she’s embraced her new look. With Sophia’s help, Isabella made a TikTok video to have a little fun with that. In the video, Sophia lip-synced along with a snippet from the animated series “Monster High.” As she snatched a wig off of her sister’s head, Sophia pretended to say, “Oh my gosh! She’s bald! She’s bald and she’s torturing people who have hair!”

Earlier this year when Isabella had her last appointment at the Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in North Carolina, she shared her experience. Overjoyed at that moment, Isabella expressed, “It was a great, great scan. Everything was clear. Cancer-free, and everything is great. I don’t have another doctor’s appointment until October,” she stated.

Though, for such a lovely milestone, Isabella’s NFL dad also could not hide his emotions at that time. The emotional dad cherished the moment through an IG post. “@isabellastrahan you are a SUPERWOMAN! Ringing that bell finishing chemo and on your way!” You continue to fight with a smile on your face, strength, and determination. I am one proud Dad! Love you, Bella,” proud Michael captioned in his post. It indeed depicted the TV host’s love and affection for her daughter. Earlier father and daughter both reflected on their family’s journey during her battle with cancer.

Michael Strahan and Isabella reflect on family journey during her cancer battle

The father-daughter duo received significant attention when they both appeared on the cover of Town & Country Magazine together. At that time, they both candidly reflected on how her health battle changed their lives. And that’s since Isabella revealed in January that she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“I feel like I’m 50 years old, with all this life experience. I feel like I’ve grown in many ways. … I’m super grateful for walking and talking again. You don’t think of the things you can do until you live without them,” Isabella added.

On the other hand, her dad also recalled his “painful” experience as a parent witnessing his daughter fight cancer. “Tough and painful to watch,” he added, However, he also appreciated his daughter’s spirit as she never gave up during tough times.

“Throughout this entire journey, Isabella has inspired and helped us all by how she has approached what she was facing. She has worked so hard and with such an amazing spirit. And she is still on a journey with her vision, balance, and getting her weight back,” he further added. Thus, through her entire journey of battling with cancer She not only made her dad proud. But, she inspired many.