There’s a reason we haven’t heard much out of Selena Gomez this summer: She had a kidney transplant because of complications with lupus.
The 25-year-old singer, who has been open about dealing with lupus—as well as mental illness—took to Instagram this morning to update us on her condition and her absence over the past few months. She posted a photo of her and her friend Francia Raisa in adjacent hospital beds holding hands, disclosing that Raisa was her kidney donor.
Source: Instagram
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“There aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa,” Gomez wrote. “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.”
Saying that it was what she needed for her “overall health,” Gomez wrote that she “honestly look[s] forward” to sharing her medical journey from the past few months. Until then, she wanted to publicly thank her family and “incredible team of doctors” that performed the procedure and have overseen her postoperative recovery.
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Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can impact any part of the body, including skin, joints and/or organs and affects an estimated 5 million people worldwide.
Gomez concluded her post by sharing the link for the Lupus Research Alliance website, where people can learn more about the condition. We wish both Gomez and Raisa speedy recoveries!
This post originally appeared on SheKnows.com.
