Excerpt from Alison's speech at the "THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR" Fundraiser on April 24, 2004

Now I ask God why not me?

I decided that instead of using my sickness as an excuse or reason to be angry or bitter with the world, I choose to look at it as an opportunity, to show others but more importantly to show myself that I can beat it! There were many a times when doctors told my parents that I wouldn't make it, I mean one doctor even told me to my face I was dying, but I wouldn't accept that. I wrote that doctor a card and thanked her for making it easier for me to prove her wrong, and you know what to this day that doctor is one of my greatest friends. It just goes to show that a little hope and faith can go a long way. A special friend of mine once told me that "when you change the way you look at things the thing's you look at change." I love that saying because it's so true. If I surround myself with the intentions that I was completely healthy and remained as positive as possible then I would notice that, that is the type of energy I would attract and good things would come my way. Like today for example, I couldn't have asked for more.  I believe there is no such thing as coincidence and that everything happens for a reason, which may not be clear to us now, but will be discovered when the time is right. I'm not saying being sick was easy it was the hardest year of all our lives. Something none of us were prepared for, but God-willing we all got through it strong as ever and all with the help of countless numbers of family and friends like you, for which I am eternally grateful.

"I like to think of life as a Ferris wheel, full of ups and downs. Whenever one side is down, there is always another side going up, and it doesn't really matter which side you're on because as you can see here, you have family and friends on all sides."