President Barack Obama caught a pregnant woman who began to faint during his speech about healthcare reforms today and then joked, "That's what happens when I talk too long".
Mr Obama reached out to help prospective Affordable Care Act beneficiary Karmel Allison who was standing directly behind him as he discussed the glitches of the new healthcare website in the Rose Garden of the White House.
Around 25 minutes into the speech, Ms. Allison became
unsteady and started to lose consciousness but the President, and other attendees, turned around and grabbed her before she fainted.
"I got you. You're OK," Mr. Obama told her.
The woman was escorted away for medical assistance as the crowd applauded Mr. Obama's quick reaction.
Ms. Allison later tweeted: "I'm ok world- just got a little lightheaded. Thanks, @BarackObama for catching me! And good thing this pregnant diabetic is pregnant."
Her husband, David Allison, tweeted his thanks to President Obama then in a follow up said he had wanted to go to his wife's aid but thought better of it, fearing the Secret Service may get confused if he started bolting towards the podium.
Ms. Allison was invited to the event at the White House because she has suffered Type 1 Diabetes since she was nine years old and has always struggled to find affordable healthcare.
Ms. Allison, who represented the American Diabetes Association, said she was honored to attend the event.
"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 told CNN.
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