Michael Strahan’s Daughter Emergency Surgery Due to Brain Cancer Battle

The 19-year-old daughter of Good Morning America host and NFL hall-of-famer Michael Strahan, Isabella Strahan, has been battling brain cancer since last fall.

After being diagnosed with medulloblastoma in October and undergoing her first craniotomy that same month to remove the tumor, the 19-year-old shared she underwent another procedure and gave fans an update on how she’s doing.

“I’m in so much pain,” Isabella, who’s been documenting her journey, noted in a March 6 YouTube video that showed her lying in a hospital bed with bandages around her head after surgery, “and my head is wrapped like this. My face is extremely puffy, and this sucks. I was in so much pain earlier. I was like screaming. This is not fun.”

The teen also detailed what the procedure entailed. “They cleaned out my scar for, like, infection, and then they replaced my bone that they cut out of my skull originally with a titanium plate,” she continued. “So now, I’m part titanium.”

While hospitalized, Isabella underwent her first blood transfusion, had an MRI, and got her chemo port cleaned before she was finally able to go home—but she ended up having to come back sooner than she expected.

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Just hours later, Isabella was back in the hospital, as she joked, “I catfished everyone.”

“We left the hospital after three or four days and now we’re back less than 12 hours later because I have a fever again,” she explained. “I got a fever of 102 and had to come back in. So we’re trying to figure out what’s wrong but no one can find out what’s wrong.”

“This is the worst fever I think I’ve had,” Isabella continued in the video. “I don’t feel as horrible as I did the first time. I just have a really bad headache so I thought nothing of it and now we’re in the ER.”

What Is Medulloblastoma?

Medulloblastoma is a cancerous brain tumor that starts near your brainstem, in your cerebellum. The tumor is fast growing and can spread to other areas of your brain and spinal cord. Medulloblastoma is more common in children than adults. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Medulloblastoma can happen at any age, but most often occurs in young children. Though medulloblastoma is rare, it’s the most common cancerous brain tumor in children. Medulloblastoma happens more often in families that have a history of conditions that increase the risk of cancer. These syndromes include Gorlin syndrome or Turcot syndrome.

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Medulloblastoma Symptoms

Medulloblastoma symptoms happen when the tumor grows or causes pressure to build up in the brain. They can begin before the cancer is diagnosed and may continue for months or years even after treatment. Signs and symptoms of medulloblastoma may include:

• Dizziness.
• Double vision.
• Headaches.
• Nausea.
• Poor coordination.
• Tiredness.
• Unsteady walk.
• Vomiting.

Medulloblastoma Treatment Options

According to The Mayo Clinic, the treatment options for Isabella include:

• Surgery to relieve fluid buildup in the brain. A medulloblastoma may grow to block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. This can cause a buildup of fluid that puts pressure on the brain. To reduce the pressure, a surgeon can create a pathway for the fluid to flow out of the brain. Sometimes this procedure can be combined with surgery to remove the tumor.
• Surgery to remove the medulloblastoma. The goal of surgery is to remove all of the medulloblastoma. But sometimes it’s not possible to fully remove the tumor because it forms near important structures deep within the brain. Most people with medulloblastoma need more treatments after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left.
• Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams to kill cancer cells. The energy can come from X-rays, protons and other sources. During radiation therapy, a machine directs beams of energy to specific points on the body. Radiation therapy is often used after surgery.
• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill cancer cells. Typically, children and adults with medulloblastoma receive these medicines as an injection into veins. Chemotherapy may be used after surgery or radiation therapy. Sometimes it’s done at the same time as radiation therapy.
• Clinical trials. Clinical trials enroll eligible participants to study new treatments or to study new ways of using existing treatments, such as different combinations or timing of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These studies provide a chance to try the latest treatment options, though the risk of side effects may not be known. Talk with your health care provider for advice.

Although Isabella has been dealing with the symptoms of chemo, Strahan said his daughter hasn’t faced anything that wasn’t “expected” by them both. He added that he’s doing as well as he can despite watching her go through these difficult moments.

“It is tough to see her go through it, but I know she’s a tough young lady and she’s going to make it through it,” he said at the time.