Imagine having to go through brain surgery a day before your birthday. That’s the reality NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan‘s daughter Isabella had to confront in her battle against cancer. It’s been an emotional journey for the Strahans. But their efforts have paid off, as Isabella is now cancer-free and back at college. And now, she has made an honest admission about the whole ordeal.

In an interview with Town & Country, Isabella didn’t hold back. “I was not scared going into brain surgery. I was laughing,” she admitted. As for Michael, he has been in awe of her strength throughout, saying he’s “always amazed” by her toughness. He recalled her telling him, “Obviously, I’m going to do all I have to do because I want to live.”

She’s shown every side of herself through this fight: vulnerable, tough, and even goofy—capturing her highs and lows with her signature humor. Guess that was the key in her dub over cancer. And what better way to announce it than to do it on live TV? Michael did just that in September when he shared it on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, saying, “Isabella is great! She’s cancer-free.”

Isabella’s journey wasn’t smooth. It started with troubling symptoms—difficulty walking straight and even vomiting blood. Initially misdiagnosed with an ear infection, doctors eventually discovered a malignant tumor in her cerebellum. Since then, she’s endured three surgeries, weeks of radiation, and rounds of chemotherapy.

But wait, there’s more… temporarily off of college (for an indefinite period of time), a social girl like her confined to the set routines? Yeah, it can get the best of people. However, Isabella’s weakness was her strength as she did not let cancer scare her. Instead, she decided to turn the tumultuous journey into a documented series of YouTube videos where she shared her progress with honesty and wit.

But as Michael shares his pride in her fight, he also knows there’s one thing he won’t do: let her battle define her. Instead, Isabella’s story is about survival, strength, and getting back to life—because, as she put it, “F–k cancer!” And there’s another thing the former DE just cannot find the courage to do.

Michael Strahan’s hard admission

For all of us pigskin fanatics, Michael Strahan has been more than just a Hall of Famer with 141.5 career sacks and a Super Bowl ring (remember when he led the Giants to SB XLII dub? Ah! Those days). Beyond those giant tackles and the NFL single-season sack record he still holds, there’s a side to Strahan that we didn’t see—one that’s about being there, in every way he can, for his daughter Isabella through her battle with cancer. Even though it was his daughter doing it all. But he made sure to be present (I mean, that’s the least, but it still was beautiful).

And now, Michael has opened up about why he would not just watch the documented videos on YT. When asked if he’s ever watched Isabella’s home videos documenting her experience, his answer was honest and raw. “I’ve seen her film about it. But I’ve never watched it,” he said in an interview shared on People’s Instagram.

And he didn’t mince words on why: “It’s hard to live it twice. I gotta live it in here. So, to go back and see it again, I think it would just crush me even more.” That’s a sentiment any parent can feel, especially when reliving a loved one’s most challenging moments.

But Isabella’s videos are more than just a personal diary. Strahan explained that she’s sharing her story with other teens facing similar battles. As he put it, “[Isabella] created this, I think, so that people her age… could feel connected to something that may be affecting them.” She’s hoping to give those who might feel alone a reminder that they’re not—and that they’ve got someone on their team who gets it. Like father like daughter. I mean, if not toughness then what did we expect from a defensive end’s daughter, right?