Selena Gomez’s life has been saved, and it’s all because of her best friend.
The former Disney Channel star posted on Instagram Thursday that her life was saved thanks to her best friend, who donated her kidney in an urgent surgery.
Gomez, who had been laying low recovering from her Lupus diagnosis, needed a kidney transplant. Her friend Francia Raisa, who starred in “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” rose to the challenge, offering her own kidney to save the pop star’s life.
In Selena’s words: “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.”
See her entire post below.
Gomez first received her diagnosis for lupus last year, BBC reported. Lupus often creates extreme tiredness and joint pain. Gomez said she hopes more research will shed light on the dangerous medical issue.
Since then, Gomez has taken the last year or so off from the public spotlight, avoiding social media because it caused anxiety and depression.
She made her first public appearance after her recent surgery last Friday.
During her recovery, she’s worked with Netflix for the show “13 Reasons Why,” which she said was a way to help foster discussion on mental health and depression.
Gomez serves as a producer on “13 Reasons Why,” a hit Netflix series that’s drawn criticism for the way it depicts depression and suicide.
“It’s all about learning,” she said. "I hope we are the generation that gets to bring that up a little bit more, but I do believe it’s always been there."