Woman nearly faints behind Obama on stage
Updated 2:44 p.m. ET, 10/21/2013
(CNN) - As President Barack Obama was promoting the Affordable Care Act on Monday, a woman standing with him on stage nearly passed out.
Karmel Allison, a Type 1 diabetic from San Diego, was standing almost directly behind the President as he gave his remarks in the Rose Garden. She got wobbly at one point and others standing around her began to help.
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The president then paused to turn around, and Allison started to fall backwards. The person behind her broke her fall, while Obama also reached out to support her.
"I got ya," he said. "You're OK."
Turning back to the audience, Obama joked: "This happens when I talk too long."
An aide came on stage to escort Allison away from the podium.
A few hours later, Allison told CNN's Brooke Baldwin she was "feeling much better now."
"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," she said in a phone interview on "Newsroom." "And as the sun hit me, I got a little lightheaded."
Allison said she was treated by the White House physician. "Now I get to say that ACA got me care by the White House medical professional," she joked.
Allison, who represented the American Diabetes Association, was at the event because she said she had a positive experience while researching options under Obamacare, according to a White House description.
"It was an honor to be there and I'm rather sorry I fainted in the middle of the speech, but I was really happy to be able to be on stage at that moment," she said.
- CNN's Sarah Baker and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
She had a glucose monitor stapled to the back of her arm, this means she is a pumper! My kinda person! I'm glad you will be OK...God bless the president. Type 1's ROCK
@just saying: Oh, bite me, you nasty old fool! You are such a waste of space and oxygen.
Dominican mama 4 Obama
I would have fainted right on top of him and flattened him like a pancake cuz I weigh 450 pounds!
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No, you don't. If you weighed that much you'd be too busy eating your way through life than to take a time out and post here.
Type 1 diabetes is a very expensive disease to treat. I'm sure this woman and others greatly appreciate the help provided by Obamacare: It helps them lead longer, more productive lives, which benefits ALL of us – even snarky little repubs who like shutting down the government.
BTW, Cruz and the Repubs: When can we expect our $24 billion reimbursement check from you guys?
@just saying nothing over and over!!!! You don't understand how health insurance works do you? Deductible amount is based on the type of plan. The lower the cost the higher the deductible. It is the same for vehicle insurance and home owner's insurance. Oh I forgot you probably are unable to drive or own a house due to your condition.
I know from experience that being 20 weeks pregnant, standing in the sun and being a little dehydrated can cause you to feel light-headed. Good to hear she's doing well, thanks to the quick action of those around her, the staff that escorted her quickly off and the docs who checked her out.