‘It was life or death’: Selena Gomez talks candidly about her kidney transplant

The singer revealed she had undergone a kidney transplant on social media last month.

Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus five years ago and it attacked her kidneys this year. The 25-year-old has now spoken out about the reality of her traumatic year in an interview with NBC. Selena says that her kidneys began to fail before she was told she needed a transplant.

“My kidneys were shutting down but my mentality was just to keep going,” Selena revealed in the interview.

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Oct 29, 2017 at 12:34pm PDT

However, one day it became too much when Selena couldn’t physically open a water bottle.

“She was emotional,” her friend Francia says. “She couldn’t open a water bottle so she just chucked it and just started crying.”

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

It was actress Francia Raisa who stepped in to help, offering her kidney to save her friends life. The 29-year-old says the offer of her kidney came out like word vomit.

“I said, ‘Of course I’ll get tested!’.”

The pair went on to discuss the gruelling preparation leading up to the surgery as well as the procedure itself. Francia even had to go as far as to draw up a will.

“She saved my life. That’s it,” Selena said in the emotional interview.