When she was crowned Miss Dallas Teen 2022 on October 9, Alison Appelby was not alone on stage. The 17-year-old was accompanied by Brady, her service dog, in training to provide her with the help she needs in a crisis. Because Alison Appleby, who lives in the Texas town of Sherman, suffers from epilepsy.
As its name suggests, the Miss Dallas Teen 2022 pageant is for young women between the ages of 14 and 19. It was the first beauty contest involving Allison Appleby and Brady, a Golden Retriever, who is on a mission to detect her seizures before they happen and bring her medication. Her coronation (the dog was also entitled to her tiara) has a symbolic dimension, as she explains Tuesday on BFMTV:
“Thanks to this victory, I now have a voice to show people that they can do anything, regardless of the obstacles. Especially when it comes to disability or illness. You can do anything, regardless of the labels that are put on you, since whether they tell you that you are capable of doing it or not”.
“Beauty queens don’t have disabilities!”
Because this young archery fan had to deal with the words of discouragement from some skeptics. That’s what he wrote on Instagram the day after her victory, captioning a photo of her and Brady moments after her coronation:
“When I signed up (for this pageant), a stranger told me, ‘You can’t do that, you have a service dog. Beauty queens don’t have disabilities!’ And here we are!”
She also claims to have participated to “have fun and represent other girls with disabilities”:
“I bought my dresses three days before the pageant, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” she adds. foxnewswho reports that the young woman also suffers from a form of autism.
And her career as a beauty queen may be just beginning. According to the New York Postshould participate in the Miss Texas Teen election next May.
Source: BFM TV
