Singer Selena Gomez and actress Francia Raísa, her friend who donated a kidney to her, are speaking up for the very first time about the secretive surgery they underwent in 2017 and how the surgery drastically altered the life of the singer.
Selena Gomez has struggled on and off with depression and anxiety throughout her life, but in recent years she has chosen to tell the public about her mental illness and face it head-on with confidence and strength.
She’s been enrolled in a rehab hospital for a while and has been recovering ever since. Particularly for the star of her success and fame, Selena is not immune to all sorts of physical and mental illnesses.
In 2015, Selena was diagnosed with Lupus, a disease of the immune system. Lupus essentially induces the white cells of the body to respond in unpredictable ways and to invade the various species of the body.
“I had arthritis. My kidneys were shutting down. My mentality was just to keep going,” she told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie in an exclusive NBC News interview.
Selena Gomez had to undergo a kidney transplant procedure due to her diagnosis of Lupus. Her roommate and closest friend, Francia Raísa, immediately got tested after hearing about the news.
Raísa was quickly checked for her blood and urine and underwent a thorough physical and psychological assessment. A process that usually lasts months has been expedited and finished within a day.
Gomez did not imagine that her friend would not only donate one of her kidneys but also she checked out being a match.
Raísa underwent her operation first, followed by Gomez, who recalls waking up to see her mom and stepdad. Then she called for the Raísa.
‘Recovery was hard,’ Raísa recalled. ‘I didn’t want to eat, I didn’t want to drink anything. Selena did have a complication, too. A few hours after our surgery, I woke up and had a text from her that said, “I’m really scared.”
After the surgery, complications soon arose. Gomez was quickly returned to the operating room. Her body started rejecting the new kidney which started turning around inside her body and splitting one of her arteries. Her situation was so bad that the doctors felt it was a miracle that she emerged out alive.
“I was freaking out. It was a six-hour surgery that they had to do on me, and the normal kidney process is actually two hours,” Selena said. “Apparently one of the arteries had flipped. I’m very thankful that there are people who know what to do in that situation.”
Both Gomez and Raísa expressed how their faith led them across their painful path, which they kept secret until months later. Gomez gratitude Raísa with saving her life.
‘2018 I am just enjoying,’ she continued. ‘The show is a hit. My health is good. I have a new home, I have an amazing new boyfriend that I met on set. I went back to dance class for the first time last week. Now I’m more motivated and inspired than ever.’
“I just hope that this inspires people to feel good. To know that there are really good people in the world,” Gomez said.
This was the story of how Selena Gomez had been through tough times and gained success in spite of her horrific disease. She approached Lupus and her psychiatric condition with such courage and compassion that only a handful of us could ever hope to equal.
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