LFA Representatives Mercedes Yvette and Dr. Gary Gilkeson Discuss Lupus on ABC News Now

Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) national spokesperson, Mercedes Yvette, and chair of the LFA Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, Dr. Gary Gilkeson, appeared on the ABC News Now program, Healthy Living, on April 7 to discuss lupus. Mercedes discussed how lupus has affected her life and her role as a spokesperson for the LFA. Dr. Gilkeson provided the program’s more than 35 million viewers an overview of lupus, its impact, plus an update on new developments in research and treatment.

Mercedes won the hearts of millions of Americans through her struggles with lupus, which were chronicled in 2004 on the hit UPN Television Network show, “America’s Next Top Model,” hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks. Despite the constant pain and fatigue of living with lupus, Mercedes went on to become runner-up in the model competition. She later became a national spokesperson for the LFA while building a successful modeling career.

Dr. Gilkeson is a Professor of Medicine/Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine for Research. Dr. Gilkeson's research and clinical interests are both in lupus, particularly lupus nephritis. His clinical focus in lupus nephritis is the factors resulting in the ethnic disparity in outcomes in lupus comparing African Americans to Caucasians.

View the segment about treating and diagnosing lupus featuring Dr. Gilkeson and Mercedes.

View the segment about living with lupus featuring Mercedes.

Would You Like to Share Your Story? LFA Seeks Interviewees for Article

Good morning everyone ...

Hope you had a good weekend. The weather was a bit unpleasant / uncooperative here in DC. Cold, gray, gloomy and rainy. I spent Saturday recovering from my trip to the personal trainer on the previous Thursday evening. Boy was that a humbling experience. But I guess you have to start somewhere.

On the advice of a friend, I watched 1967's Thoroughly Modern Millie (Julie Andrews and Carol Channing) this weekend. It was ... peculiar. And there was a very odd subplot that seemed to be tacked on to the storyline.

And now to lupus news.

As a reminder, this morning at 10:30 a.m Eastern time, Mercedes Yvette, LFA spokesperson and 2004 runner up on America's Next Top Model, and Dr. Gary Gilkeson, chair of the LFA’s Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, will appear on "Healthy Life," a regular health segment on ABC News Now. We hope you can tune in.

Update: We have just learned that the actual episode will not air online today; however the taping of the episode is taking place today. The episode of the lupus interview will be posted online to ABC News Now in the near future. When we learn when that will be, we will share it with you. Sorry for any inconvenience. We appreciate your patience.

Looking for Article Interviewees

Are you someone who has been profoundly affected by the love and support of a friend or family member in your battle against lupus?

If so, LFA wants to talk to you. We are looking for individuals who want to share their story about how a friend/loved one has helped support them in their disease.

If you have a story you would like to share, please write a few paragraphs about your experience, and then email it to us at info@lupus.org. Someone will then follow up with you. That's all there is to it.

Until next time,
Wick

LFA Spokesperson Mercedes Yvette and Dr. Gary Gilkeson to Discuss Lupus on ABC News Now on Monday, April 7 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern

On Monday, April 7 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, Mercedes Yvette, Lupus Foundation of America spokesperson and 2004 runner up on America's Next Top Model, and Dr. Gary Gilkeson, chair of the LFA’s Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, will appear on "Healthy Life," a regular health segment on ABC News Now.

Mercedes Yvette, who has lupus and who was featured on the Spring 2007 cover of Lupus Now magazine, and Dr. Gilkeson will join Dr. Tim Johnson, the chief medical correspondent for the ABC Television Network, to talk about lupus.

Mercedes will share how lupus has affected her life, and what she is doing as a national spokesperson for the LFA. Dr. Gilkeson will discuss how lupus is diagnosed and treated, and the latest research findings.

Again, the show about lupus will be broadcast live from 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, April 7. To view it, please visit http://abcnews.go.com/abcnewsnow, and look for "Healthy Life."

ABC News Now is a 24/7 digital cable channel available to more than 34 million users on cable, broadband and on mobile phones.

Update as of Monday, April 7, 2008: We have just learned that the actual episode will not air online today; however the taping of the episode is taking place today. The episode of the lupus interview will be posted online to ABC News Now in the near future. When we learn when that will be, we will share it with you. Sorry for any inconvenience. We appreciate your patience.