She lives in Surrey with her husband and two children. Alison developed facial palsy in 2011 after surgery to remove cancerous tumours in her salivary gland. She was fortunate enough to be able to attend a facial palsy support group very soon after her surgery and found the group invaluable in helping her deal with the physical and psychological impact of facial palsy. Alison is keen to raise awareness of what facial palsy is, its many effects on those who have it and to grow the charity so that it can help support those who live with it every day.