Soledad and Dr. Sanjay Gupta at LFA Awards (2009)

National LFA spokesperson Mercedes Yvette with honoree Dr. Sanjay Gupta and
Soledad O'Brien of CNN (2009) at the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) annual awards dinner,
May 2009 in Washington, D.C. 

The event celebrated and honored survivors, advocates and champions of lupus research and awareness, including those living with the disease, such as Mercedes Yvette, 2004 runner up on America’s Next Top Model.

Soledad O'Brien, CNN anchor and special correspondent, served as the master of ceremonies for the gala, whose honorees included her CNN colleague Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN who received the Leadership in National Health Education Award.

The foundation also launched a new public awareness campaign directed towards women most at risk for developing the autoimmune disease – young women of childbearing age with a special focus on minority women, particularly African American, Latino, Asian and Native Americans.