Michael Strahan Says Daughter Isabella Taught Him 'You Take Your Pain and Make it a Message' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

(L-R) Michael Strahan, Isabella Strahan.Photo:Lou Rocco/ABC Via Getty Images, Isabella Strahan/TikTok

Lou Rocco/ABC Via Getty Images, Isabella Strahan/TikTok

Isabella Strahanhas taught her famous dad a thing or two about perseverance.Months afterthe 20-year-old finished treatmentformedulloblastoma, a malignant tumor that arises in the cerebellum, andrevealed she was cancer-free, her father,Michael Strahan, 52, opened up to PEOPLE atTown & Country’s 11th Annual Philanthropy Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 29, about what it was like watching her medical journey.“It was inspiring, but tough because I’m watching her go through something and telling everybody about, and I’m seeing it in real time, and then to know that she’s sharing something that is so personal with everyone,” he says, referring to Isabella’spopular YouTube vlogsin whichshe documented each step of her treatment.Michael Strahan attends Town & Country’s Philanthropy Summit at Hearst Tower on October 29, 2024 in New York City.Craig Barritt/GettyWhile theGood Morning Americacohost admits he doesn’t know if he would be able to be as vulnerable as his daughter, he tells PEOPLE that it has shown him that if “you take your pain and you make it a message,” you “can help other people get through their pain through your message.““She’s just been a phenomenal young adult, and I couldn’t be more proud of her for doing that,” he says.Michael Strahan and Isabella Strahan.Michael Strahan/InstagramThe PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Isabellaannounced her diagnosisduring a segment onGood Morning Americain January. She first learned about the condition in late October and underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai to remove the mass a day before her 19th birthday.“To hear the words, cancer-free, it makes you extremely happy,” the former NFL star says. “It doesn’t make you less nervous. I’ll be honest with you. I still get nervous.“Isabella Strahan.Isabella Strahan/instagram"I’m still every day on pins and needles for now, but it made me happy because I saw that there was a sense of completion in her mind of that part of her journey, and that was important that she had the hope to know that, okay, let’s try to pick up my life and take my life work and go from here,” he adds.The television host tells PEOPLE that his daughter,who is a student at the University of Southern California, is back in school “loving college, loving being around her friends, loving going to class.“Isabella Strahan.Isabella Strahan/instagram"I think it’s given her such a different appreciation of life, especially as a young adult,” he says.At Tuesday’s event, Michael also admitted that it’s hard for him to look back at his daughter’s journey on her vlogs, telling the audience, “To go back and see it again, I think it would just crush me even more.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.While reflecting on her journey in a cover story forTown & Country, Isabella shared that she “feels like I’ve grown in many ways.”

Isabella Strahanhas taught her famous dad a thing or two about perseverance.

Months afterthe 20-year-old finished treatmentformedulloblastoma, a malignant tumor that arises in the cerebellum, andrevealed she was cancer-free, her father,Michael Strahan, 52, opened up to PEOPLE atTown & Country’s 11th Annual Philanthropy Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 29, about what it was like watching her medical journey.

“It was inspiring, but tough because I’m watching her go through something and telling everybody about, and I’m seeing it in real time, and then to know that she’s sharing something that is so personal with everyone,” he says, referring to Isabella’spopular YouTube vlogsin whichshe documented each step of her treatment.

Michael Strahan attends Town & Country’s Philanthropy Summit at Hearst Tower on October 29, 2024 in New York City.Craig Barritt/Getty

Craig Barritt/Getty

While theGood Morning Americacohost admits he doesn’t know if he would be able to be as vulnerable as his daughter, he tells PEOPLE that it has shown him that if “you take your pain and you make it a message,” you “can help other people get through their pain through your message.”

“She’s just been a phenomenal young adult, and I couldn’t be more proud of her for doing that,” he says.

Michael Strahan and Isabella Strahan.Michael Strahan/Instagram

Michael Strahan/Instagram

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Isabellaannounced her diagnosisduring a segment onGood Morning Americain January. She first learned about the condition in late October and underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai to remove the mass a day before her 19th birthday.

“To hear the words, cancer-free, it makes you extremely happy,” the former NFL star says. “It doesn’t make you less nervous. I’ll be honest with you. I still get nervous.”

Isabella Strahan.Isabella Strahan/instagram

Isabella Strahan/instagram

“I’m still every day on pins and needles for now, but it made me happy because I saw that there was a sense of completion in her mind of that part of her journey, and that was important that she had the hope to know that, okay, let’s try to pick up my life and take my life work and go from here,” he adds.

The television host tells PEOPLE that his daughter,who is a student at the University of Southern California, is back in school “loving college, loving being around her friends, loving going to class.”

“I think it’s given her such a different appreciation of life, especially as a young adult,” he says.

At Tuesday’s event, Michael also admitted that it’s hard for him to look back at his daughter’s journey on her vlogs, telling the audience, “To go back and see it again, I think it would just crush me even more.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

While reflecting on her journey in a cover story forTown & Country, Isabella shared that she “feels like I’ve grown in many ways.”

source: people.com