Disney alum Selena Gomez has been very open with her fans (Selenators, as they're known) about her health troubles including her battle with depression and lupus.
The 25-year-old entertainer first spoke out about the auto-immune disease in 2015 after she was forced to cancel tour dates so she could undergo chemotherapy to ease some of the symptoms.
Selena also shared with fans that she completed a rehab program after experiencing lupus-related panic attacks and depression.
The pop star, who is the most followed person on Instagram, frequently posts updates about her life and health. So when she suddenly went quiet for a chunk of this past summer, people grew concerned.
The singer eventually returned to the photo sharing platform, and in the wee hours of September 14, she finally revealed the shocking reason why she went under the radar.
Selena posted a photo of her lying in a hospital bed beside another recognizable face, actress and her best friend Francia Raisa (The Secret Life of the American Teenager).
Accompanying the image was a caption that revealed that she had undergone a kidney transplant over the summer. The actress wrote that the procedure needed to be done for her overall health so she could continue to fight the debilitating disease.
"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," she wrote at the beginning on the message.
"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," the singer continued.
Francia donated the kidney that Selena needed and the singer expressed her gratitude in the note.
"...There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful best 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," Selena wrote.
The singer also shared photos of her post-surgery scars.
Selena reassured fans that she is recovering well and will be sharing more updates in the near future.
"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," the Good for You singer wrote. "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."
She also shared the link to the Lupus Research Alliance website and urged people to learn more about the disease because it "continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made."
Selena has finally started to step back into the limelight by making appearances at a few New York Fashion Week events with her boyfriend and singer The Weeknd.
Selena isn't alone in her fight against lupus. The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that 1.5 million Americans suffer from some form of the disease. Systematic lupus, which affects a major organ is the most common form of the disease, and it starts to develop between the ages of 15 and 44.
