Amid Michael Strahan watching his 19-year-old daughter battle a brain tumor, the Good Morning America anchor is taking solace in the fact his work family’s got his back.
A source tells ET that “Michael Strahan has the full support of his ABC family, as he and his daughter navigate this new life post-surgery and diagnosis.” The source continued, “The love and support he’s received over the last few months has been a comfort to him during this time. For now, it’s about healing and looking forward to a great new year.”
Strahan and his daughter, Isabella Strahan, shared Thursday in a joint interview with Robin Roberts on GMA the heartbreaking diagnosis. Isabella shared that she first started feeling symptoms in early October, right around the time she was at the start of her freshman year at the University of Southern California. She noticed “headaches, nausea” and “couldn’t walk straight.” At one point, things got so bad she would wake up “throwing up blood.”
Following her family’s insistence on getting a medical checkup, Isabella said she’s glad she did so because she feels “like this doctor saved her life because she was thorough enough to say, ‘Let’s do the full checkup.'”
The number of tests led doctors to a fast-growing four-centimeter tumor (the size of a gold ball) in the back of her brain. The malignant tumor is known as medulloblastoma. Isabella underwent emergency surgery to remove the mass on Oct. 27, just one day before she turned 19.
The announcement came some two months after the New York Giants legend and Super Bowl champion returned to GMA and to his NFL analyst job for Fox after a mysterious weeks-long absence.
“I literally think that in a lot of ways, I’m the luckiest man in the world because I’ve got an amazing daughter,” Michael told Roberts in the new interview. “I know she’s going through it, but I know that we’re never given more than we can handle and that she is going to crush this.”
Meanwhile, Roberts took to Instagram and shared behind-the-scenes footage of the emotional interview with Michael and Isabella.
“A very emotional morning here on @goodmorningamerica …” she captioned the post. “I sat down with @michaelstrahan and his wonderful daughter Isabella who has been dealing with a private health issue. Now, she says she’s ready to tell her story … her way … in hopes of helping others. ❤️.”
Michael shares twin daughters Isabella and Sophia with his ex-wife, Jean Muggli. He is also dad to Tanita Strahan, 32, and Michael Strahan Jr., 29, whom he shares with his first wife, Wanda Hutchins.
