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Journalism of Courage
Alison Appleby has been crowned Miss Dallas Teen 2022. What made her win special was the presence of her service dog Brady who accompanied her throughout the competition.
Brady assists Alison, who was diagnosed with epilepsy two years ago, by alerting her to any oncoming seizures and fetching her medication. This was Alison’s first pageant.
After the 17-year-old won the pageant Tuesday, she told KTEN, “Something I tell a lot of people, is just because I have a chronic illness, doesn’t mean I am chronically ill”.
After some charity events and functions that are on her newly-packed schedule, Alison will prepare for the Miss Texas pageant to be held in May next year. With her latest win, she hopes to inspire others who have similar disabilities.
Videos of Alison receiving the crown alongside her dog are being widely circulated online.
Commenting on a video of Alison’s winning moment, a Facebook user wrote, “As a mom of a teen daughter with epilepsy, this made my day! Not because her dog is precious, but because this young woman is living out loud and killin’ it. Congrats to Ali, and thank you for setting an example for girls like mine by living big! And kudos to the volunteers who thought ahead to include Brady in the event that Ali won. Thank you for helping to end a stigma that (beyond all reason) still very much exists. Ali, you are lovely, and the fact that you were voted Miss Congeniality says everything!”.
