Selena Gomez has discussed the kidney transplant that saved her life in an emotional on-stage speech.
Recently she said she’d ‘stepped back a bit’ from the spotlight after her kidney transplant.
But Selena Gomez stepped back into the spotlight again, to highlight the importance of giving back during WE Day.
The “Back to You” singer took the stage at the WE Day celebration to talk about how her personal health struggles taught her how to use her platform for good. The annual event, which took place on April 19 of this year at the Los Angeles Forum, promotes youth empowerment all over the world. The special, hosted by John Stamos, aired on Friday and featured a special moment with Gomez as she introduced 8-year-old Nellie Mainor, who suffers from a rare kidney disease.
Will you help @SelenaGomez make the world a more hopeful place?
We’re in. Are you? #WEday pic.twitter.com/EjNlndKF5K
— WE (@WEMovement) August 18, 2018
The Wolves singer, dressed in a cosy red jumper and wearing matching lipstick, told the audience: ‘You are focusing on making the world a more hopeful place and you encourage me and all of my friends to do the same,’ the 25-year-old told the audience, in an event that was actually taped back in April.
‘As maybe some of you know, I had a kidney transplant this year and so many people from across the country reached out and they offered their support,’ said the Spring Breakers star.
‘And others told me how hearing my story helped them find their own courage and helped other people want to get involved and donate.’
‘They reminded me how lucky I am to have a platform where I can share with you guys and I can pay the love forward.’
The Wolves hitmaker made the decision to remove herself from anything that leaves her feeling stressed and has also opted to move out of Los Angeles.
She told Good Morning America: ‘Honestly I’ve just kind of stepped back a bit. I’m enjoying my life. I don’t really think about anything that causes me stress anymore, which is really nice.
‘I don’t even live in Los Angeles anymore. I don’t pay attention to trying to get people to like me as much.’ the Barney & Friends alum added.
Her Lupus diagnosis came nearly five years ago but it wasn’t until the summer of 2017 that Selena underwent a kidney transplant.
Grown-ish star Francia revealed earlier this year that her popstar friend nearly died during the transplant after an artery broke. The 30-year-old actress said: ‘Selena did have a complication, too. A few hours after our surgery, I woke up and had a text from her that said, “I’m really scared.” My kidney was very active, and when it turned I broke an artery. ‘They had to take her into emergency surgery and get a vein from her leg and build a new artery to keep my kidney in place. She could have died.’
‘[I was told], “It’s going to be hard, the recipient is going to glow and she’s going to recover a lot faster than the donor because she’s getting something she needs and you are losing something you don’t need to lose. It’s going to be hard.” And it was very hard. Selena and I both went through a depression.’
The duo kept the surgery a secret until September when Selena wrote about it on social media.
