Melinda Doolittle

She auditioned for “American Idol” with the Stevie Wonder song “For Once in My Life.” We know what happened next. Melinda Doolittle finished as the third place finalist of the sixth season of the show.

But what “Idol” fans might not know is that Melinda Doolittle isn’t content with limiting herself to entertainment. During her rapid rise to stardom she threw her support behind a cause that wasn’t so “celebre” — malaria. With Malaria No More, Doolittle traveled with first lady Laura Bush to Zambia and other countries in the “malaria belt” of Africa to raise awareness of the disease.

She believes that malaria can be eradicated — with medicine to treat the disease and with insecticides and bed nets to prevent it in the first place. Doolittle’s goal is to help eliminate malaria once and for all in her lifetime.

Update: Watch the CNN.com Live Video interview

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