the dew from off my sunday clothes ♪ ♪ that mean old sun better rise up soon if it's ever gonna set on me ♪ ♪ that mean old sun better rise up soon ♪ ♪ if it's ever gonna set on me ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ this is "nightline." >> byron: tonight -- ♪ somebody save me ♪ >> byron: country star jelly

roll. the personal past as a drug user and dealer before congress. calling for an end to the fentanyl crisis. the platinum artist breaking through to millions of fans with his songs about struggle and redemption. >> why do you think you mean so much to people? >> i represent overcoming. there's like this glimmer of hope when a guy like me makes it through the cracks. >> byron: what he says should be done to help stop the opioid epidemic. plus isabella's story. sports legend and "gma" anchor michael strahan sharing a deeply personal family challenge. >> 18 years old at the time. you're not thinking this. >> byron: his daughter, isabella, diagnoses with a cancerous brain tumor. >> i don't want to hide it anymore. >> byron: emergency surgery. >> i feel like those doctors saved her life. >> byron: courageous recovery. why isabella is making the next

steps in her treatment her message. >> you have to keep living every day through the whole thing. >> byron: and bill belichick. what tom brady is saying about the man he calls the best coach in nfl history. - bye, bye cough. - later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any cough, day or night. mucinex dm. it's comeback season. now try mucinex instasoothe sore throat medicated drops. my most important kitchen tool? my brain. so i choose new neuriva ultra. unlike some others, it supports 7 brain health indicators, including mental alertness from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger.

♪

>> byron: good evening. thank you for joining us. country star jelly roll today sharing painful pieces of his past struggle with addiction in the hopes of helping to combat the fentanyl crisis that's ravaging america today. here's abc's ashan singh. >> how are y'all doing this morning? >> a little nervous. i'm used to having a rock 'n' roll band behind me when i have a microphone in front of me. >> reporter: jason deford, aka jelly roll, speaking to lawmakers on capitol hill about fentanyl, something the country music star knows well. >> i was a part of the problem. i am here now standing as a man that wants to be part of the solution. >> reporter: now sharing his lived experience as a former drug dealer. >> i brought my community down. i hurt people. i was the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs i knew absolutely nothing about, just like these drug dealers are doing right now when they're mixing every drug on the market with fentanyl, and they're killing the people we love. >> reporter: he's urging

congress to pass legislation that would stop the flow of fentanyl in the u.s., imposing sanctions on chinese suppliers and members call drug cartels who are bringing it into the country. >> i truly believe in my heart that this bill, that this bill will stop the supply and can help stop the supply of fentanyl. >> reporter: the artist roast to fame singing hits like "son of a sinner." ♪ these back roads guide me these pills pretend to be my friend ♪ ♪ i'm done for the last time ♪ >> reporter: tackling his own past of addiction and time in prison. that vulnerability -- >> you're awesome, thank you so much. >> reporter: striking a deep chord with fans. why do you think you mean so much to people? >> i represent overcoming. i represent the guy that wasn't supposed to make it, making it. i think that's how we all feel sitting at home, that there's this glimmer of hope when a guy like me makes it through the cracks. >> reporter: his songs about drug addiction like "she" drawing on his troubled childhood. ♪ see the sunrise in her eyes ♪

♪ before the cold november rain ♪ >> reporter: first topping record charts as an emerging artist. >> shaking nervous. >> reporter: jelly roll has since racked up three cmt music awards. and last november, he won the country music award for new artist of the year. >> there is something poet pick a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. i don't know where you're at in your life or what you're going through, but i want to tell you to keep going, baby. >> reporter: jelly using his newfound fame to raise awareness as the fentanyl crisis grips the country. since 2019, fentanyl poisonings have become the leading cause of death for americans aged 18 to 45. according to the cdc, over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. that's over 50,000 victims each year. that number is predicted to go up. the raging epidemic leading many

families to pay the highest price. amy neville lost her 14-year-old son, alexander. >> he was gone. he was blue. not breathing. i can still see him lying on his bean bag chair. >> reporter: dr. laura berman who lost 16-year-old son sammy to the drug. >> this was murder. this was fentanyl poisoning. he did not mean to take fentanyl, he did not want to take fentanyl. but what he took was counterfeit, and it was fentanyl. >> reporter: for jelly roll, his mission is to prevent another family from losing their loved one to fentanyl. >> i'm surprised i didn't get killed, to be honest. but even deeper than just my own personal struggle with addictions. >> reporter: a kid from the streets of antioch, tennessee, with a big build and face tats, now the second coming of country music with hits like "need a favor." ♪ if i only talk to god when i need a favor ♪ >> reporter: husband unlikely

journey to fame highlighted in an abc news documentary, "jelly roll: save me." how many times were you told this space isn't for you? >> oh, you know, i was told by every label in nashville that this place wasn't for me. but i wanted to play the grand ole opry. i was a nashville kid that grew up loving country music. ♪ somebody save me ♪ >> reporter: jelly roll found his voice in 2020 when he released "save me." the song hitting platinum. >> what i call overnight 10-year success story, you know what i mean? it was crazy. this thing's becoming a landslide. >> reporter: for jelly, sharing his struggles provided an outlet for healing. it's why he visits rehab centers for those fighting addictions. >> how are you? >> good. >> sobriety is always hard, but this is the hardest part. how are y'all? >> hi, how are you? >> my name's jelly roll, i'm a musician, not a public speaker, so work with me.

my child's mother was a recovering heroin addict. my mother struggled with addiction. i've had a brother and cousin who struggled with addiction. i was surrounded by so much addiction in my life. >> reporter: you choose to go to these recovery centers and continually give back. i'm curious why? >> imagine god put you in a situation where he brings you through what he brought me through. and you have a heart to do anything but help people that were in the same situation you were in. >> reporter: who is jelly? before the music? >> oh, dude. jelly before the music was a scumbag. i was a horrible, horrible human. i was a less than desirable human. i think that's why i have such a heart for service now and to help people is because i was a taker for so long that i wanted to be a giver for the rest of my life. >> reporter: from the concert stage to the floor of congress, the singer continuing to raise awareness on one of america's most pressing issues. >> i stand here as a regular member of society. i am a stupid songwriter, y'all. but i have firsthand witnessed

this in a way most people have not. i encourage y'all not only to pass this bill, i encourage you to bring it up where it matters, at the kitchen table. >> byron: our thanks to ashan. when we come back, abc's own michael strahan and his daughter, isabella, sharing her very pernal health news. with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, my skin was no longer mine. my active psoriatic arthritis joint symptoms held me back. don't let symptoms define you. emerge as you. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 4 months... ...and the majority stayed clearer, at 5 years. tremfya® is proven to significantly reduce joint pain, stiffness and swelling it's just 6 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge as you. emerge tremfyant®.

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covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by january 31st at coveredca.com. ♪ >> byron: welcome back. we turn now to a deeply personal and moving story. "good morning america" coanchor michael strahan and his daughter, isabella, earlier

today revealing her cancer diagnosis and their family's united front and her courageous battle. here's "gma's" robin roberts. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> reporter: this morning, our dear friend michael side by side with his daughter, essabella as they reveal what they've been facing over the last few months. >> papa bear, papa bear, how proud are you of your daughter for wanting to take control and to be the one to share her story? >> i -- i mean, i'm very proud of her. and she's always been strong. and this is something that is so personal that i didn't know if it would be something that she'd want to share. i'm extremely proud. >> i'd know that smile anywhere. isabella, how are you doing at this very moment? hoy are you feeling? >> 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, i think, through the whole thing. >> reporter: soon after starting college at university of southern california this past fall, the then 18-year-old freshman begins experiencing excruciating headaches unlike any she's had before. >> didn't notice until probably september, october 1st. that's when i definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn't walk straight. >> what did you think was going on at the time? >> i thought i had vertigo. i looked that up. associated that with walking straight. so that was my problem. >> you knew she was having headaches, but did you have any idea how extreme the headaches were? >> no. no. and, you know, 18 years old at the time, you're not thinking this. maybe it's vertigo. maybe it's something else. but she's young, she's strong, she's healthy. look at her, she looks great. >> reporter: a few weeks later,

on october 25th, her condition taking a turn for the worse. >> i woke up probably 1:00 p.m. i dreaded waking up. but i was throwing up blood. my sister, i was like, hm, this probably isn't good. so i texted her, who then notified the whole family. >> then that was when we decided, you need to really go see a -- get a thorough checkup. thank goodness for the doctor. i feel like this doctor saved her life. >> she did an ekg there for my heart and other stuff. but she didn't have an mri machine. so i went to take it somewhere else. then she calls me and she's like, "you need to head to cedars-sinai right now, i'm going to meet you there." >> once the doctor saw the result, called her, told her, "get to the hospital." but did not tell her why. >> reporter: doctors suddenly telling isabella she's developed a fast-growing 4-centimeter tumor in the back of her brain. its size larger than a golf ball. and you knew about the brain

tumor before isabella? >> yeah. >> i don't really remember much. i just remember trying to figure out how to get to l.a. asap. and it just doesn't feel real. >> reporter: isabella's diagnosis, medulloblastoma, which accounts for 20% of all childhood brain tumors. about 500 children per year are diagnosed. most commonly between ages 5 to 9. >> because rare, 10% get it. but rarely someone who's 18, 19 years old. it's one that they feel very confident they can treat. >> reporter: the following day, october 27th, isabella undergoing emergency surgery at cedars-sinai. >> it sent a signal how serious it was, and they said, hey, you shouldn't risk trying to put her on a plane to get her to the east coast or to another doctor. we know what it is, and we should get it out as soon as possible. >> reporter: the procedure urgent to remove the mass.

the day before her 19th birthday. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> reporter: isabella's recollection of her recovery remains foggy, like taking her first sips of water. >> does that feel refreshing? >> reporter: learning how to walk again. >> looking good. >> reporter: with the help of her twin sister, sofia. >> she was heavily medicated, as you can imagine. but she would have conversations. she had a lot of her friends, and they would come over just to sit with her. there were times when she was in a lot of pain. she was sleeping a lot. >> reporter: after a grueling month of rehab, isabella moving on to several rounds of radiation treatment. [ bell ringing ] >> i just finished radiation therapy, which is proton radiation. i got to ring the bell yesterday.

it was great. it was very exciting because it's been a long 30 sessions, six weeks. >> we can see one side effect to the radiation, which you are rocking that do, let's just say that. were there other side effects? >> yeah, i would say i experienced fatigue. not too much nausea. but definitely towards the end. it kind of builds up throughout the week. what else? dizziness. i've been very dizzy. >> what's next for you as far as treatment is concerned? >> i'm going to start chemotherapy the beginning of february. at duke. that's my next step. i'm ready for it to start, one day closer to being over. >> you are the definition of a thriver. you're making your mess your message. isabella, who's kept this part of her life private online, now partnering with duke's children's hospital to document her journey in a new youtube series. >> it's been two months of keeping it quiet, which is definitely difficult.

i don't want to hide it anymore, because it's hard to always keep it -- hope to just be a voice, be a person people who are going through chemotherapy or radiation can look at and find something interesting about their day. >> one of the good things is with the youtube channel, that it's going to duke. it's going to help their children's cancer center. it's important to let people see that there is hope. you have to just go into every day with the best attitude, which is what she does. i literally think that in a lot of ways, i'm the luckiest man in the world. because i got an amazing daughter, and i know she's going through it, but i know that we're never given more than we can handle and that she is going to crush this. as much as i need her, i don't know what i would do without her. >> we've been through a lot of ups and downs. worked with you for many years. what have you learned about yourself during this? >> hm.

oof. you learn that you're probably not as strong as you thought you were, when you have to really think about the real things. and i realized that i need support from everybody. you think that, you know, i'm an athlete, tough guy, i can handle, i'm the father in the family. it is not about any of that. it doesn't matter. it's really made me change my perspective on so many things in my life. >> perspective is the big thing. i'm grateful. i'm grateful just to walk. to see friends, to do something. when you can't do something, it really impacts you. >> when you get through this next chapter of your journey, what lies ahead for you,

isabella? >> i'm sorry, a tissue. thanks. i'm looking forward to being back to college, moving back to california, and just starting my school experience over. not over, but just restarting things, back into a routine. something that's enjoyable. something sofia said to me that started this all, "you have to keep living. just because this is happening -- " >> she's right, and you've been doing that. >> yeah. >> i know this is tough. but you keep on living, isabella. you're inspiring all of us every single day we're around you. okay? >> yeah. >> and we love you. we're here for you. and you got this. >> i love you too. >> 60, 70 years, you'll be bugging somebody. i don't know if it will be me. i hope it is.

but you'll be here, baby. >> byron: our prayers are with michael and his daughter and their entire family. thanks to robin. tomorrow morning, "gma" is speaking exclusively with isabella's doctor from duke children's hospital on her diagnosis. when we return, for new england patriots fans, it's the end of an era. ve colitis takes you off course. put it in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when i wanted to see results fast, rinvoq delivered rapid symptom relief and helped leave bathroom urgency behind. check. when uc tried to slow me down... i got lasting, steroid-free remission with rinvoq. check. and when uc caused damage rinvoq came through by visibly repairing my colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid-free remission... ...and the chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check, check, and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections,

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♪ >> byron: finally tonight, say it ain't so. bill belichick saying good-bye to the new england patriots.

the coach and his longtime team parting ways. belichick led the patriots through two dozen seasons, winning six super bowls in nine appearances. he had one year left on his contract but faced mounting pressures this season. the patriots have struggled since tom brady left the team, missing the playoffs in all but one of the last four seasons. the legendary quarterback today calling bill belichick the best coach in nfl history, saying, "i could have never been the player i was without you." and that's "nightline" for this evening. thanks for the company, america. good night.