When one twin gets diagnosed with cancer, everything changes, even the way you see yourself in the mirror.

That’s the emotional truth Isabella Strahan, daughter of TV host Michael Strahan, is sharing in a new interview, where she and her sister Sophia reveal how cancer reshaped not only Isabella’s life, but their bond as twins.
Now 20 and cancer-free, Isabella is reflecting on the last year: the terrifying diagnosis, the grueling treatments, and how her relationship with Sophia evolved in ways she never expected.“It put so much into perspective,” Isabella told People, as the sisters promote their upcoming book Sisters Loved and Treasured: Stories of Unbreakable Bonds. “I would worry about small things and then understand, at the end of the day, they were trivial.”

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Sophia, who attends Duke University, the same place where Isabella underwent her cancer treatment, agreed. “When Isabella got sick, that put a lot of things into perspective,” she said. “You have each other’s back, no matter what.”

A diagnosis that changed everything

Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in October 2023, just as she was starting her freshman year at the University of Southern California. What began as vertigo and balance issues soon escalated into vomiting blood, leading to an emergency room visit that revealed the tumor.

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She underwent immediate surgery, followed by months of chemotherapy and radiation. Two additional surgeries were needed after a post-op infection.

“She was thin and tired and bald,” Michael Strahan said earlier this year. “All the things you hate to see your kid go through.” He added that watching Isabella fight for her life was “every parent’s worst nightmare.”

“We don’t even look the same anymore”

For twins who grew up doing everything together, Isabella’s treatment had another emotional impact — it changed how she saw herself next to her sister.

“Honestly, we don’t even look the same anymore,” she said. “That’s a little sad to me. A lot of it was my hair.”

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She recalled a moment at a party when someone asked how she and Sophia knew each other. “We’re sisters. We’re twins,” she replied.
But through the grief, fear, and physical transformation, their connection deepened.“Not many people can say they’ve gone through something so difficult and had someone there the whole time,” Isabella said. “That was great. It’s brought us a lot closer.”

And in true sister fashion, there’s still room for playful bickering.

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“We still get in fights,” Isabella laughed. “She says, ‘You’re fine now. I can take your things.’”

Moving forward — together

Now back at the University of Southern California and regaining her strength, Isabella continues to be monitored by doctors, while Sophia studies at Duke, the same hospital campus where Isabella once received treatment.

“There will never be a time I’m not nervous,” he admitted. “I could tell she feels it too.”

But if the last year proved anything, it’s that some bonds aren’t just unbreakable, they’re forged in fire. And Isabella and Sophia? They’re still walking side by side, even when life pushes them to different coasts.