Katrina Rees
A few months ago, Selena Gomez made a welcome return to the music industry with ‘Bad Liar’. Followed up by ‘Fetish’, the track was well received by fans and critics, and you even voted it Song of the Summer in our CelebMix Awards!
However, Selena has been notably absent on the promotion trail and today the singer revealed why. Taking to Instagram, the 25-year-old told her fans that she recently had to get a kidney transplant due to her Lupus.
“It was what I needed to do for my overall health. I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you,” she said. “Until then I want to publicly thank my family and incredible team of doctors for everything they have done for me prior to and post-surgery.”
Selena saved the biggest thank you for her donor – friend and The Secret Life of the American Teenager actress, Francia Raisa. “And finally, there aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.”
The transplant was needed because of Selena’s Lupus, an illness she says “continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made”. She ended her post by sharing a link to the Lupus Research Alliance website.
Francia reposted the same picture on Instagram, commenting: “I am beyond grateful that God would trust me with something that not only saved a life, but changed mine in the process. This was part of our story, and we will share it soon, but what is important now is that this is not the only story.”
In addition to sharing the Lupus website, Francia ended her post with “Love you sis, so glad we’re on this journey together xx”.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease which can damage any part of the body, and over the years Selena has been open about how the illness has affected her. In 2016, she cancelled her Revival World Tour, in order to take some much needed time out to focus on her health.
“As many of you know, around a year ago I revealed that I have lupus, an illness that can affect people in different ways. I’ve discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of Lupus, which can present their own challenges,” she revealed in a statement.
“I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.”
We’re full of admiration for Selena Gomez for the way she handles her Lupus whilst continuing to raise awareness of the autoimmune disease. We cannot forget Francia Raisa either – donating her kidney was a brave and completely selfless act. We wish both ladies a speedy recovery from the procedure.
Let us know your thoughts on Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa’s story on Twitter @CelebMix
