CariDee is named after her grandmother Dee and Carrie from the Little House on the Prairie. She stated during the cycle that she worked as a photographer before appearing on America's Next Top Model. She has suffered from psoriasis for 15 years and believed her dream of becoming a model was unattainable. However, a doctor recommended Raptiva, a drug that she still injects weekly in order to control the disease, and it has worked well for her skin, although a small patch still remains.