Ms. Pennsylvania 2004 U.S. Beauties Maria Frisby competing for the U.S. Beauties National Title in Bloomingdale, Illinois

Ms. Pennsylvania Maria Frisby, an actress and model, whom suffers from a life-threatening illness called recurrent pancreatitis and whom has overcome many obstacles in her lifetime including having feeding tubes seeks the U.S. Beauties national title on Sunday, June 13, 2004 in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

(PRWEB) May 24, 2004 -- Ms. Pennsylvania 2004 Maria Frisby will be competing for the national title at the U.S. Beauties national pageant on June 13, 2004 in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

Maria suffers from a life-threatening illness called recurrent pancreatitis which almost claimed her life several times. In the past she was attached to a portable feeding pump at home and received her nutrition via nasal and jejunal feeding tubes. She has been hospitalized often due to her illness. In 2003 Maria almost lost her life due to two life-threatening illnesses called pancreatitis and septicemia. Septicemia has a high mortality rate and acute pancreatitis can be life-threatening also. Maria was hospitalized in October 2003 with a body temperature of 108 degrees. She was in the intensive care unit for 3 days attached to monitors and fighting for her life. She was covered in ice from her head to her toes and was in critical condition. Doctors and nurses worked hard to save her life. Her doctors and nurses told her that it is a miracle that she is alive after having a body temperature of 108 degrees. She was told that most people do not survive a 108 degree body temperature. Maria is a born again christian and feels that God was watching over her. Maria feels that she survived a 108 degree body temperature due to lots of prayer.

She also feels that her life was spared so that she can continue dedicating herself to community service and helping others. She is the founder of the Angels of Mercy whom is a group of children from Central PA whom Maria has taken to nursing homes, hospitals, and homeless missions to visit and share their time and talent (singing) with the elderly, sick, and homeless. She also did a 9/11 project for family members of victims killed on 9/11. She raised money and sent family members of victims killed on 9/11 to an amusement park. Maria's long-term goal is to acquire a motor home and visit areas where natural disasters occur to help the victims of natural disasters.

She graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in criminal justice and Harrisburg Area Community College with an A.A. in business administration. She received Dean's List Honors, the Black Incentive Award, and the Black Achievement Award for superior academic achievement at Penn State University. She graduated from Penn State University with a 3.05 GPA. She played basketball in college and was a member of the B.M.C.C. - C.U.N.Y. Women's Basketball Championship Team in 1982. She is a former special agent and emergency medical technician.

She was a special guest on New York's Time Warner Cable TV Show the DAVE GOLD SHOW. During the show titled "An Evening with Maria Frisby" Maria did a monologue, sang a song called Imagine, recited a poem that she wrote about 9/11 called "It Happened One Day" and was a co-host. She was a featured extra in The Getaway starring Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin. She has done print and runway modeling. An autographed 8x10 photograph of Maria was selected by De La Salle Theatre Manager David Sandham for inclusion into the foyer exhibition of the De La Salle Theatre in Bournemouth, England.

An inspirational story about Ms. Pennsylvania Maria Frisby is in the January edition of the national magazine H2 Model & Pageantry Magazine.

Maria's dream is to win the U.S. Beauties national title. Her mission is to continue helping others and to spread the message of peace and love in United States and abroad.