Lupus Living With Mercedes Scelba-Shorte and Lupus By Jeri Jewett-Tennant, MPH Jeri Jewett-Tennant, MPH LinkedIn Jeri Jewett-Tennant, MPH, is a medical writer and program development manager at the Center for Reducing Health Disparities. Learn about our editorial process Fact checked by Ashley Hall Fact checked by Ashley Hall on August 23, 2020 LinkedIn Ashley Hall is a writer and fact checker who has been published in multiple medical journals in the field of surgery. Learn about our editorial process on August 23, 2020 Print Mercedes Scelba-Shorte, professionally known as Mercedes Yvette, is best known for being a contestant and finalist on season two of America's Next Top Model, a reality modeling competition hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks. Vivien Killilea / Getty Images Lupus Diagnosis Scelba-Shorte was diagnosed with lupus in 2003 during her junior year of college while competing on "America's Next Top Model." She was already quite familiar with the disease, as her grandmother had passed away from complications with lupus. Her diagnosis didn't come immediately. Scelba-Shorte experienced symptoms a few years before being diagnosed, including extreme fatigue and joint pain. In an interview with NaturallyCurly.com, she reveals that her joint pain was so severe she couldn't unscrew a jar of peanut butter. After receiving such a serious diagnosis, it would have been easy for Scelba-Shorte to fall into a cycle of self-pity and adopt a "woe is me" attitude. Instead, she decided to become an advocate for her health and take her well-being into her own hands by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Scelba-Shorte struggled with her diagnosis during filming for America's Next Top Model. Her medication was making her hair fall out, and she kept her condition a secret from the other contestants. Eventually, she revealed that she has lupus. Modeling Career After placing second on America's Next Top Model, Scelba-Shorte became a spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America, helping to launch the organization's first campaign and raising funds for research. She signed with Nous Model Management and her career hit the ground running. She's appeared in a number of magazines, including Wedding Dresses, Teen Vogue, Lupus Now, Arthritis Today, and LA Yoga. She's walked the runway for DSquared2, Rock & Republic, John Sakalis, Lloyd Klein and Enyce, and has appeared in advertisements for Payless ShoeSource, Sears, Skechers, Target, Kohl's, Halston, Mederma, Crocs, and Bud Light. Her commercial credits include Chili's, Dr. Pepper, Mentos, JCPenney, Chevy, and Visit California. She also has starred in a number of small roles in television shows, including The Bold and the Beautiful, One on One, and All of Us. Today Scelba-Shorte is still a spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America. She is currently signed with Brand Model and Talent, Industry Model Management and Flick East-West Talents. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Famous People With Lupus Disease Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. LinkedIn. Mercedes Yvette. IMDb. Mercedes Scelba-Shorte.