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Selena Gomez Reveals Her Friend Donated Kidney to Her: "She Gave Me The Ultimate Gift"
The singer shares that it was in connection with her Lupus battle.
UPDATE 9/18/17: Selena Gomez's mom, Mandy Teefey, thanked Francia for donating her kidney to Selena in an emotional Instagram post, adding that after the event, "I also gained another daughter."
If you thought Selena Gomez felt a little MIA for part of this year, we now know why. She confirmed she had a kidney transplant over the summer in an emotional Instagram post she shared with her fans on Thursday. The singer, who suffers from Lupus, revealed that her friend, 29-year-old actress, Francia Raisa, was the one who donated the organ to her.
"I’m very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn’t promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. 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 shared. "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. 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. Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made."
Gomez first shared she was diagnosed with Lupus back in 2015 and that she had underwent chemotherapy at the time to help treat it, which led to her taking a break; she again took a break in 2016.
At the time, she shared, "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."
Check out more from Gomez, below.
