Running down a trail or laughing with friends may seem simple, but for Isabella Strahan, those moments are victories. The 20-year-old daughter of Michael Strahan and Jean Muggli has been documenting her journey after brain cancer, and her newest update highlights the progress she’s made.
@isabellastrahan Living the life I fought for ❤️🩹 #recovery #cancer #fyp
♬ The Journey – H.E.R.
Isabella recently shared a TikTok that told her story in two parts. The first half showed the most difficult moments, including hospital stays, physical therapy sessions, and the day her head was shaved. The tone then shifted as viewers saw her modeling in a Kenneth Cole campaign, hiking by the ocean, and jogging again. Her caption summed it up: “Living the life I fought for.”
The video was set to H.E.R.’s ballad “The Journey,” with lyrics that reflected Isabella’s experience: “Going through hell, but still / you’re gonna make it through / It’s the fire that they can’t put out inside.”
@isabellastrahan Can’t stop won’t stop ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #fyp #foryoupage
♬ MY X – unxzive
Isabella’s battle with medulloblastoma, a rare malignant brain tumor, demanded six weeks of radiation, four rounds of chemotherapy, and three brain surgeries. In July 2024, she was able to share the news that she was cancer-free, a milestone that drew an outpouring of support.
Now continuing her education as a student at the University of Southern California, Isabella says her focus has shifted to living fully in the present.
“Obviously you can’t predict what can happen, and that is a little scary,” she told People Magazine in an interview earlier this year. “But I don’t think you can solely live in fear. I think I should live every day. Take every opportunity.”
She also believes in the power of telling her story. “I see the impact that can come from sharing my experience,” she explained. “My diagnosis, it’s a part of me, but it doesn’t define me. I want to be a voice.”
Isabella’s story spans stark contrasts, medical treatments on one end and modeling shoots on the other. We are glad that she is sharing the in between for all of us to continue to cheer alongside her as she continues on this incredibly new and amazing journey.
Photo: Isabella Strahan TikTok/Instagram
