Allan's parents were volunteers of the Carnival II experimental program at Hope, Idaho. As part of the program, they were infected with a new strain of the Redlight virus. Although the virus was asymptomatic in adults, it manifested in children conceived from infected parents. Most of the children died at birth or died within a couple of years, and Michael Allan was no exception. He died on August 6, 1968, and like the other Hope Children, his body was taken by Blackwatch to be preserved for future reference.