Back in 2023, NFL legend and Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan’s daughter had just embarked on a new chapter of her life as a freshman at the University of South California. Just 50 days into it, and life took her for a ride- an experience that would change her forever. It started silently when Isabella first realized that she could not walk in a straight line. On a hike, her friends asked if she was about to fall off the mountain. A doctor thought she had an ear infection. It was around October 1, 2023, as Isabella could recall. But things went ugly 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,” Isabella 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, Medulloblastoma, that was the size of a golf ball toward the end of October 2023.

Michael was at a birthday dinner with one of his old Giants teammates when he got the call about Isabella’s diagnosis. He rushed to the airport to fly to the West Coast. “At the time, Isabella was modeling, the face of Sephora. She was healthy, beautiful. It was surreal. For a week or two I’d wake up and go, ‘Okay, that was a bad dream,’ and then realize, ‘We’re still in this another day. Here we go.’,” Micheal recalled. Isabella underwent an emergency surgery just the day before her 19th birthday on October 28 to remove the tumor.

Since then, Isabella has undergone 2 more surgeries, along with 6 weeks of radiation and 4 rounds of chemotherapy. With all that, she came out triumphant over cancer last summer and resumed her academic pursuits after a year’s interruption. officially cancer-free, she shared with her social media followers a picture of a handwritten note that read, “Believe that things will get better. No matter what, keep going! F–k cancer!” On August 20, last year, a selfie taken with her mom Jean Muggli was captioned “Back at USC.” A video showed her dancing in her new apartment. “I get to start my freshman year again, and I hope I’m there for longer than 50 days this time,” she had said back then. As Isabella’s latest social media update reveals, she has added one more triumphant chapter to this second stint of her collegiate career.

Isabella Strahan has joined the Delta Gamma program at USC while studying journalism and communications. On January 15, she shared some photos on her Instagram stories that revealed a major surprise. And the photos were from the Disco PC 25 of the historical century-old sorority. She was holding a cardboard cutout in the shape of an anchor that had “DEEG Isabella” written on it, showing she was enjoying her college days. That’s wonderful.

Isabella Strahan’s charming personality and her resilient journey are a perfect fit for the Delta Gamma program. Being a member of the 152-year-old sorority will help her flourish in a diverse and wholesome space. It all started in 1873 when 3 young women, Anna Boyd, Mary Comfort, and Eva Webb, couldn’t go home during the Christmas break. Together, the trio started a club of friends at Lewis School in Oxford, Mississippi.

The founders wanted to ensure a great environment and even drafted their own constitution. Their pin, the letter H, also symbolizes their mission of giving hope to fellow women. It later became a place for all such girls who wanted friends without any hesitation based on race, ethnicity, or such differences. Isabella is an embodiment of hope herself, beating cancer in a tough battle. Her charming personality stands out, radiating optimism!

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As the proud dad Michael Strahan had stated, “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.” While Isabella and her family won this brave battle against the deadly disease, they also picked up some important lessons on the way that they say, has changed their life for the better, ever.

Isabella Strahan grew volumes while fighting cancer

For Isabella, the journey has made her stronger than ever. During an interview with Town & Country Mag in October 2024, she even joked about it, saying, “I feel like I’m 50 years old, with all this life experience! I feel like I’ve grown in many ways,” Isabella says. “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 and Michael, longtime supporters of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, now want to use their experience to do good, raising money for the organization as well as Duke Children’s Hospital and the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, where Isabella received treatment. They told Town & Country that they hope that sharing their experiences will help increase understanding for other families going through similar health crises. But above everything, if anything the two have realized most through this journey is to value what you have at the moment. Here is how they put it.

“I think this year has made me stronger. The people in your life are what makes it enjoyable. Now I don’t say no to anything. I don’t think, I’ll do it next week. You don’t know what next week will look like,” Isabella says. Indeed, she is living every moment. Just days back she was spotted enjoying Knicks’ football game alongside her friend Ben Garcia. Michael, too, has realized the importance of family more than ever.

He now lives life “more in the moment. I’m more gentle in a lot of ways. I always loved and appreciated my family, but sometimes you’re just working, working, working. Now I work, but I see an end to that, because I want to spend time with my family. It’s the most important thing. I love that my girls are in college and I have the ability to go and spend time with them.” However, the recovery phase is not yet over for Isabella.

“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,” Michael noted. With her bold steps toward it, she not only made her dad proud but has continued to inspire many.