Michael Strahan has broken his silence on the heartbreaking process of sticking by his daughter during the harrowing cancer diagnosis she received in early 2024.

Strahan — a co-anchor for Good Morning America and football analyst on FOX NFL Sunday — revealed that his daughter Isabella was 19 years old when she had a brain tumor removed and was undergoing chemotherapy, per PEOPLE.

When Isabella was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called medulloblastoma — a malignant brain tumor which grows in the cerebellum — he says he was seeking to "find the silver lining somewhere," and "some light at the end of the tunnel," while she was undergoing treatment.

"She wasn't eating much," Strahan, 53, told the outlet. "She was thin and tired and bald and all the things you hate to see your kid go through." He added that despite that, "Her spirit was there. One of the things she said, probably the hardest thing I had to hear was, 'Dad I'll do whatever. I want to live.' "

"I knew she wouldn't quit," the former NFL Giants star said. "She was going to fight — and she did."

Isabella went on record saying she was "Cancer-free and everything is great" in the summer of 2024. "It was a great, great scan," she said. "Everything was clear. Cancer-free and everything is great. I don't have another doctor's appointment until October," she said just eight months after the tumor diagnosis.

The family is set to document the grueling battle in ABC's upcoming special Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan's Fight Against Cancer, announced by the network.

"The emotional and intimate one-hour primetime special produced by ABC News Studios and SMAC Productions follows her diagnosis, treatment, recovery and recent return to college cancer-free," the show's logline details, per ABC.

"Isabella reflects on her fight and setbacks along the way, and she also discusses her decision to go public with her story by starting a YouTube series, benefiting The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke and documenting her battle. The special will also include other cancer patients inspired by Isabella's message."

Strahan explained that doctors feel good about her recovery, and although Isabella knows she doesn't know what the future holds, she is standing firm on living her life every single day.

"Obviously you can't predict what will happen and that's a little scary," Isabella, 21, said. "But I don't think you can solely live in fear. I think I should live every day. Take every opportunity. I see the impact that can come from sharing my experience. I want to be a voice."

Life Interrupted: Isabella Strahan's Fight Against Cancer, is set to premiere Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. and the following day, Feb. 6 on Disney+ and Hulu.

Tags
Michael strahan, Cancer