Singer Selena Gomez reveals she's had a kidney transplant

Selena Gomez says that she had a kidney transplant to treat lupus.

LONDON- Selena Gomez said on Thursday (Sept 14) that she has had a kidney transplant to treat the lupus that has derailed her life for more than three years.

In an Instagram posting, the 25 year-old singer showed a photo of herself in the hospital lying next to her best friend, actress Francia Raisa, who she said made the “ultimate gift” of donating her kidney.

The Good For You singer explained in the post that she had been lying low this summer because “I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health.”

​The singer, who has the biggest following on Instagram with 126 million followers, also posted images of a post-operative scar on her lower abdomen.

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. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health. I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you. Until then I want to publicly thank my family and incredible team of doctors for everything they have done for me prior to and post-surgery. And 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 to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis. Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made. For more information regarding Lupus please go to the Lupus Research Alliance website: www.lupusresearch.org/ -by grace through faith

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Sep 14, 2017 at 3:07am PDT

Gomez, who came to fame in Disney Channel’s Wizards Of Waverly Place and dated singer Justin Bieber for several years, revealed in 2015 that she had been diagnosed with the auto-immune disease lupus and undergone chemotherapy to treat it.

The announcement followed two career breaks and a cancelled tour.

In 2016, she again cancelled part of her tour, saying she was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks caused by lupus.

The cause of lupus is not clear and symptoms can include swollen joints, fatigue, rashes and fever.

“Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made,” Gomez said in Thursday’s Instagram post.

She thanked Raisa, best known for TV series The Secret Life Of The American Teenager, for donating the kidney.

“There aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend,” she said.

“She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.”