President Obama Helps Catch A Fainting Karmel Allison During Healthcare Speech

President Barack Obama’s national address about the Affordable Care Act Monday morning took a turn when a pregnant woman with Type 1 diabetes almost fainted from her place behind the President.

Obama sprung into action, helping a few others on the stage steady the woman while they waited for an aide to get her inside.

“This happens when I talk too long,” the President joked to the press while he made sure the woman, Karmel Allison, was alright. (His speech concluded shortly after.)

Allison was on hand for the President’s speech as a representative of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as a contributor and editor for A Sweet Life, an online community journal for those suffering from diabetes.

After the incident, Allison took to Twitter to reassure the world that she is, in fact, fine.

I’m ok world- just got a little lightheaded.Thanks, @BarackObama for catching me! And good thing this pregnant diabetic is pregnant 🙂

— Karmel Allison (@karmel_a) October 21, 2013

In an interview, Allison revealed that she simply felt lightheaded, and said she hadn’t had enough to drink the morning of the event.

“It wasn’t actually that long… I’m 20 weeks pregnant at this point and I hadn’t had that much to drink that morning because I was worried about possibly needing to go to the bathroom during the speech, so I wanted to avoid that. And, as the sun hit me I got a little bit lightheaded, but… everything’s back to normal,” Allison told CNN.

Allison was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age nine and recently published a blog post titled “What Obamacare Feels Like to a Diabetic” in which she writes about the freedom Obamacare gives her because she is no longer limited based on a ‘pre-existing condition.’

“It’s an amazing feeling. After almost two decades of feeling tied to a single option [insurance] – an option I like and am extremely grateful for, but still a single option – I felt liberated. Even now, I get chills just thinking about that feeling of, ‘Hey, you’re just one of us now.’ It’s incredible. It’s profoundly American, to feel like I have choices and the freedom to move,” Allison writes.

Allison is currently 20 weeks pregnant with her first child with husband David Allison, who Tweeted after the incident to clarify that his wife’s presence and minor health scare were absolutely not a media stunt.

I can assure you all that @karmel_a isn’t a plant, just a diabetes researcher with a keen interest in and admiration for the ACA 🙂

— David Allison (@david_allison) October 21, 2013

During her interview with CNN, Allison emphasized that she was thrilled to have been able to be a part of such a historic piece of legislation.

“I was really happy to be on stage at that moment and to be a part of this really great opportunity for Americans,” she said.

The moment quickly went viral, and even Jon Stewart addressed it on Monday night’s installment of The Daily Show when he joked about the poor planning of the entire event.

Obama’s full speech on the Affordable Care Act and the glitches occurring with the website can be viewed below.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Get Uinterview’s FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.

Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.

More on Barack Obama and the US Government:

_{House Floor Stenographer Dianne Reidy Removed From Chamber After Outburst During Vote}

_{‘Colbert Report’ Stages Wedding Ceremony For Couple Whose Wedding Was Canceled Due To Shutdown}

_{President Obama Gets A New Puppy: Introducing Sunny Obama}