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Woman Who Nearly Fainted During President's Speech: 'I'm OK'

A woman who nearly fainted, briefly interrupting President Obama as he spoke at the White House on Monday, says she's "OK ... just a little lightheaded."

Karmel Allison, who is pregnant and reportedly has Type 1 diabetes, stood behind the president as he spoke about problems with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act.

At one point during Obama's speech, Allison can be seen closing her eyes and looking a bit unstable. Suddenly, she begins wobbling.

A woman to Allison's right and a man behind her help stop her from falling backward, as the president turns around to help support her.

Obama says to Allison: "You're OK," and turns back to the audience: "This happens when I talk too long," he says, as she is escorted away.

Later, Allison tweeted:

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
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