President Barack Obama briefly interrupted a Rose Garden speech about the administration's problems with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act to help a young pregnant woman with Type 1 diabetes who seemed to be about to faint.
It was near the end of the event, as Obama told the story of a self-employed Pennsylvania man named John who had written the president about the Affordable Care Act. "Yes, the website really stank during the first week," the letter read in part.
As Obama described the man's experience -- saying John had saved $900 a month by using the health exchanges -- the woman swayed, closed her eyes, took deep breaths and took the hand of the woman next to her for support.
Obama was well into his speech, saying, "That's why we fought so hard to pass this law, to give people who don't have health insurance the chance to get it for the first time, to lift from the American people the crushing burden of unaffordable healthcare, to free families from the pervasive fear that one illness...."
At that point, the woman swayed and seemed to struggle to stay on her feet. Obama turned to her and supported her, saying, "I got you, you're OK."
Then, he quipped, "This happens when I talk too long."
The woman is San Diego resident Karmel Allison, the White House confirmed Monday afternoon.
The White House said Allison was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was nine years old, and has stayed on the same insurance ever since out of fear she would not be able to find a plan that would cover her due to her pre-existing condition.
Allison, the science editor of A Sweet Life, a blog about diabetes care, announced on that blog last week that she is pregnant.
She was escorted out of the event and was seen by the White House physician, she told CNN in an interview. She later wrote on Twitter: "I'm OK world ... Thanks, @BarackObama for catching me!"
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