Film star Selena’s kidney op...
selena thanks pal for giving her a kidney
MOVIE star Selena Gomez reaches across her hospital bed to friend Francia Raisa and smiles a huge thank you...for giving her one of her kidneys. Fans had been wondering why Selena, 25, had been keeping a low profile and this picture, shared with her 126 million Instagram followers, explains it. The American singer and actress told her fans she needed the transplant to combat the autoimmune disease Lupus. She called Francia’s donation the “ultimate gift and sacrifice”. Two additional pictures show close-ups of scars on Selena’s lower stomach from the surgery. She wrote: “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. “I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering.” Selena said she is looking forward to sharing with her fans her “journey through these past several months which I have always wanted to”. Thanking her “family and incredible doctors”, she added: “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. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.” Selena said Lupus “continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made” and directed her fans to the Lupus Research Alliance website. While she did not give any details about when the operation took place, the Come & Get It hit-maker appeared at a high-profile party at New York Fashion Week on Saturday. Francia, 29, has appeared in TV series The Secret Life Of The American Teenager and Bring It On sequel, All Or Nothing. Selena revealed in 2015 she has been suffering complications from Lupus, an illness that attacks healthy tissue and organs. Earlier this year, she opened up on her need for a career break to deal with the “anxiety, panic attacks and depression” her Lupus had caused. She is now back to work and has started shooting scenes for her role in Woody Allen’s next film. The untitled drama also stars Jude Law, Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Diego Luna and Liev Schreiber.