NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan says he was left in a state of panic after his daughter, Isabella, was diagnosed with cancer … but her dedication to defeating the disease helped calm his nerves.
The Super Bowl champ and his two daughters, Isabella and Sophia, spoke with People in an interview released on Wednesday … and shared the emotional details behind Isabella’s medical discovery in 2023 — medulloblastoma, a tumor in the cerebellum.
Strahan — who played 15 seasons with the New York Giants — was shocked by the news … admitting he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“It puts you in a state of panic as a parent,” Strahan said.
The 53-year-old TV host explained they remained optimistic, but one particular moment reassured him that his 20-year-old daughter would overcome the disease.
“One of the things she said to me one time, probably hardest things I ever had to hear was, ‘Dad I’ll do whatever. I want to live,'” Strahan said.
“It shocked me and usually I cry when I tell people that, but I’m trying to hold it together for you. That was like a ‘WOW’ moment, but it was also a reassuring moment because I knew she wouldn’t quit. She was going to fight and she did.”
Isabella had the surgery on the four-centimeter tumor on her birthday (October 28) … and after several rounds of procedures, chemotherapy and radiation … she is now cancer-free.
Even though Isabella beat the disease, she still has to get scans to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned … a process that continues to make the family nervous each time.
Despite the nerves, Strahan mentioned that the doctors are “confident” Isabella will be just fine, and he hopes she can return to her normal self soon.
“I can’t wait to get to that point,” Strahan said. “I think that will be a complete moment.”
