Alison was born and raised in the Australian bush as a preacher's daughter. She pursued a career in Mathematics, serving as a school teacher and medic. In 1990, she relocated to New York City, where she became an Investment Banker on Wall Street. Later, she enrolled at NYU film school, studying film making.
On September 11th, 2001, Alison roller bladed to Ground Zero and became a volunteer rescue worker, dedicating nine months to the relief efforts. Her humanitarian work continued to evolve, as she founded and directed CTEC, a Tsunami Early-Warning Center in Sri Lanka, following the 2004 Asian disaster.
In Sri Lanka, Alison managed a busy field hospital and contributed to the rebuilding of a village for 3,000 people. She has been a full-time volunteer humanitarian since 2001, earning the affectionate nickname "Angel of Galle" in Sri Lanka.
Alison's documentary film, "The Third Wave," premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, hosted by Sean Penn and Bono. In January 2010, she joined actor Sean Penn and ten doctors in Haiti, where they managed an Internally Displaced Peoples' camp and field hospital, serving over 65,000 people.
Alison co-founded "We Advance" with Actress Maria Bello, a non-profit organization focused on combating gender-based violence in Haiti. Her memoir, "The Third Wave: A Volunteer Story," was published by Random House and is available worldwide.
In recognition of her volunteer work and humanitarian contributions, Alison received the Order of Australia, the highest civilian medal awarded by Queen Elizabeth II of England, in 2010. She was also awarded the Medal of Excellence by General Trombitas and the USA Army 82nd Airborne elite.
In July 2012, Alison was appointed the first Ambassador to the Haiti Ministry of the Environment, where she is involved in a campaign to combat reforestation and hunger through the planting of one billion trees for Haiti. She continues to work at her We Advance clinic in the Cite Soliel slums.
