Go Out and Live

Adopted at just four days of age, Allison started out right away in reaching out for life. In her early years, she danced, played the piano and wrote stories in advance of her peers. Her family's cross-country move from Arizona to New Jersey brought new levels of adventure, travel and socialization.

As a preteen, Allison showed ability in track and field, although friendships were her mainstay. Then at 16, after numerous medical diagnoses for recurring back pain, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer supposedly immune to radiation and chemotherapy. With a 2 1/2-year life expectancy, a doctor told her to "go out and live!"