It’s safe to say Selena Gomez has the best friends ever. Thursday morning, the singer shared via Instagram that she had a kidney transplant this summer and her close friend (and The Secret Life of the American Teenager actress), Francia Raisa, was the selfless donor. Selena posted a series of photos: one of the actress pals holding hands in the hospital and two of her stomach post-surgery.
In a heartfelt message, Gomez explained why she has remained out of the limelight this summer. “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. “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.”
Selena first revealed her lupus diagnosis in a 2015 interview with Billboard, when she shared that she had undergone chemotherapy and taken a step back from her career in the meantime. As PEOPLE reports, Gomez decided to go public with her lupus struggle to raise awareness and be an advocate for those suffering from the disease.
“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,” her post continued. “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.”
Selena also gushed about her best friend. “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.”
Both ladies are an inspiration, and they’re lucky to have an incredible friendship to help them through the recovery process.