Selena Gomez was honored at the Lupus Research Alliance Annual Gala in NYC on Monday, November, 20.
The “Bad Liar” singer, 25, opened up about the kidney transplant she underwent over the summer while speaking to the crowd at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
“I was diagnosed with Lupus about five or six years ago. I’ve been speaking out about my situation to raise awareness of the disease so people see a doctor right away or if they feel like they have any symptoms. And just so that honestly people can understand what it means to live with Lupus,” she explained. “I also want people to know why research is so important and why we must support the scientists who bring all the promise of new discovery. After undergoing so many tests to monitor my kidneys, my doctors told me I had Lupus Arthritis, one of the most common complications of Lupus. They said that I would be needing a kidney transplant. Maybe I wasn’t necessarily really good at knowing what that meant so it actually got to a point where it was life or death.”
She added: “Thankfully, one of my best friends gave me her kidney and it was the ultimate gift of life and I’m doing very well now.”
As previously reported, actress Francia Raisa donated her kidney to the newly blonde star. The longtime friends opened up about their journey during a Today show sit-down interview, which aired late last month.
“Two of my doctors are actually here with their beautiful partners and I just want to say thank you so much because it feels good to actually be honored and people like you where – in my world it can seem kind of vain, but this is really, really special,” Gomez continued on Monday night. “Not everyone is lucky enough to have a donor.”
Gomez landed in NYC just hours after she performed her song “Wolves” in L.A. at the American Music Awards. It was her first performance since the operation and her first in nearly a year.
“I am supporting the Lupus Research Alliance because they are getting results and that’s what give people hope,” she said at the gala. “The Lupus Research Alliance works with the top researchers who are finding new and safer ways to treat and maybe even prevent damage to the kidneys and other organs. The scientists they fund are looking at what causes Lupus so maybe someday they can be cured. I’d like to see the day when all young women can realize their dreams of life without a Lupus.”