Michael Strahan is well-known for being an American television personality, journalist, and former NFL Defensive End (DE) for the New York Giants. Now, the family man and proud father is taking on a new role as he helps to guide his daughter Isabella, 19, through her recent medulloblastoma diagnosis. 

Diagnosing, and Subsequently Treating, Brain Cancer

According to Dave Quinn in People, Strahan and Isabella recently joined the hosts of Good Morning America to discuss the diagnosis. The pair share that Isabella’s journey began in October 2023. Isabella, a freshman at the University of South California in Los Angeles, found herself suddenly nauseous and dizzy. Her head ached and sometimes it was difficult to walk in a straight line. By the end of the month, Isabella experienced an even more frightening health concern when she began throwing up blood. 

Doctors at the hospital ran a multitude of tests. During this time, the doctors discovered that Isabella had a golf ball-sized tumor growing at the back of her brain; she was told that she had medulloblastoma. Isabella’s family immediately dropped everything they were doing to be by her side. While medulloblastoma accounts for 20% of brain tumors in children, it is rare in people of Isabella’s age. 

Moving forward, Isabella is going to run a YouTube series for Duke’s Children’s Hospital & Health Center that chronicles her experiences—and aims to show others that they’re not alone. 

What is Medulloblastoma? 

Also known as: Cerebellar primitive neuroectodermal tumor

Medulloblastoma is a brain tumor that forms in the posterior fossa region of the brain, in the cerebellum. It is considered to be the most common brain tumor in children; an estimated 500 children are diagnosed with this cancer each year. The most common age of diagnosis is between five to nine years old, and this tumor also forms slightly more often in males than females. Symptoms may vary based on the tumor’s exact location, how far it has developed, and how big the tumor is. Potential symptoms of this cancer include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Headaches
• Fatigue or low energy
• Clumsiness 
• Balance loss 
• Dizziness
• Changes in vision such as blurred or double vision
• Problems with handwriting
• Seizures
• Back or spinal pain (if the cancer spreads to the spinal cord)
• Difficulty walking (if the cancer spreads to the spinal cord)
• Weakness or numbness in the arms and legs (if the cancer spreads to the spinal cord)
• Loss of bowel and bladder function (if the cancer spreads to the spinal cord)