Isabella Strahan, 19, Freezes Eggs Prior to Brain Surgery: A Challenging Experience
Isabella, 19, daughter of Michael Strahan, bravely underwent egg-freezing before brain surgery Her journey sheds light on the strength and resilience of young individuals facing medical challenges
Before beginning her cancer treatment, 19-year-old Isabella, daughter of Michael Strahan, made the decision to freeze her eggs to preserve her fertility. In a YouTube vlog on Friday, January 12, she explained that her decision was based on the potential impact of chemotherapy and radiation on her ability to have children in the future. Isabella described the process of egg freezing as "not fun" for her.
"I'm not a fan of needles, so this entire experience has been challenging for me. I've adjusted to having my blood drawn and receiving IVs, but the shots were really tough." Strahan, 52, has twin daughters Isabella and Sophia with his ex-wife Jean Muggli. Isabella remembered having to endure three shots in her stomach every day for over a week, and described the pain as excruciating. She underwent a procedure on Thanksgiving Day in 2023.
"After coming home and resting for about 6 or 7 hours, you got dressed and we had a big Thanksgiving dinner," Strahan's girlfriend, Kayla Quick, recalled. "Then the Monday after, you started radiation," Isabella revealed on the January 11th episode of Good Morning America that she was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, last fall.
YouTube
Strahan expressed on GMA, "It just didn't feel real. I hardly remember anything. All I could think about was how to get to L.A. [where Isabella was in college] as quickly as possible. It just doesn't feel real. It just didn't feel real... But it's still frightening because there's so much to deal with. And the most difficult part is knowing that she has to go through this by herself."
He added, "The doctors advised against risking putting her on a plane to get her to the East Coast or to another doctor. We are aware of the condition and we should remove it as soon as possible."
Isabella had emergency surgery to remove the mass on her 19th birthday, followed by radiation therapy and a month of rehabilitation. (She and her aunt shaved their hair in solidarity at the beginning of her treatment.)
“I’m in good spirits. It could be worse. And I’m eagerly anticipating the conclusion of this entire process. But you just have to take each day as it comes, I believe, throughout the entire ordeal,” Isabella shared with Robin Roberts on Thursday. “It’s been about two months of having to keep it under wraps, which has certainly been challenging.”
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Isabella is nearly finished with radiation.
She added in her social media video on Friday that she is so excited to ring the bell on Tuesday, which will be her last day. She never imagined she would be doing so, but she will definitely be ringing that bell!
