Selena Gomez opens up about lupus battle, kidney transplant
"Bad Liar" singer Selena Gomez broke her silence on her battle with lupus and the major surgery she had to undergo this year that largely involved her best friend.
In an interview with Today, Gomez described how she became sick as she fought lupus, making her feel weak, and how she had denied the complications at first. The former Disney star also narrated how her roommate and best friend, Francia Raisa, had become her kidney donor.
Gomez said that Raisa got wind of her sickness during the time that the singer cried her eyes out upon reaching their house. The singer then revealed that she needed a kidney transplant but that a donor would be extremely hard to find as doctors were looking at seven to 10 years to find a compatible one.
Without batting an eye, Raisa said that she would get the needed tests to know if they were a match. When results came out, it showed that she and the "Fetish" singer were indeed a match. Gomez said that their compatibility was just "unbelievable."
The ex of Justin Bieber also explained that it was hard for her to ask anybody to be her donor and was beyond surprised when the "Grown-ish" actress had volunteered to be her contributor. Raisa admitted that she had questioned her decision as well, thinking of what the surgery might do to her overall health and divulged that her mother was also initially hesitant.
Gomez also shared how she initially did not accept the illness' complications and side effects, like headaches and fevers, and admitted that it was somehow because she was not ready to accept the reality. Despite her debilitating state, she revealed that she kept going, attending tours and recording, though lupus had often caught up with her.
The 25-year-old "Same Old Love" singer also went on to say that the side effects she had dealt with were gone after the successful kidney transplant. She also credited her best friend for the selfless act she showcased during Gomez's trying time. "I just hope that this inspires people to feel good. To know that there [are] really good people in the world," Gomez said.
