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Sophia Strahan, the daughter daughter of Pro Football Hall of Famer and 'Good Morning America' host Michael Strahan, praised her twin sister, Isabella, after she revealed her battle with a rare brain tumor on Thursday (January 11).
"I’m so lucky to have the most amazing sister and best friend in the world," Sophia wrote in an Instagram post following Isabella's announcement. "The last few months have been so much harder than we could have ever imagined, but it’s made me realize just how strong you are. You inspire me and I’m so proud of you. Us forever 💞"
Isabella, 19, a University of Southern California freshman, said she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancerous, fast-growing tumor that develops in the cerebellum -- which controls movement and coordination -- while appearing alongside her father in an emotional interview with his 'Good Morning America' colleague and cancer survivor Robin Roberts.
“Today my daughter @IsabellaStrahan joined @RobinRoberts and myself for an interview about the journey she has been going through on @GMA,” Michael Strahan wrote in an Instagram caption. “I love you Isabella and I’m always by your side. To all sending love, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!”
Isabella said she experienced dizziness before the diagnosis and undergoing brain surgery in October, followed by rehabilitation and six weeks of radiation treatment. The 19-year-old said she went “two months of keeping it quiet, which has been difficult," but doesn't want to "hide" her journey, which will include chemotherapy at Duke University, where Sophia attends college, beginning in February.
“I’m feeling good, not too bad. I’m very excited for this whole process to wrap but you just have to keep living every day through the whole thing,” she said.
Isabella, who has worked as a model and recently launched a campaign with Sephora, said she's launched a YouTube series to document her battle with medulloblastoma in partnership with Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center.
“With my platform, I hope to just kind of be a voice and be a person who people who maybe are going through something similar, going through chemotherapy or radiation, can look at and just hear and just watch, or find something interesting about their day,” she said. “I’m just excited for that.”
“I know she’s going through it, but I know that we’re never given more than we can handle,” Michael added. “She is going to crush this.”
“I know this has been tough, but you keep living Isabella,” he added. “We love you. We’re here for you and you got this.”