Selena Gomez Speaks Out About Her Scars

Being diagnosed with a serious and chronic medical condition can be devastating as it could cause a major impact on a person’s life, including the lives around that person. These chronic diseases can be quite challenging to manage, especially without the right resources and help from medical professionals. One good example is lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body starts to attack healthy issues that results in symptoms such as swelling and inflammation around areas of the body. Patients with Lupus have also high chances of experiencing some damage to different areas of the body, including the kidneys, heart, and lungs.

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, an average of 5 million people around the globe have been diagnosed with the condition, with at least 16 new cases every year. Lupus affects all genders, but mainly women, and it also isn't discriminatory with age (it can develop from ages 15 to 44). It also can affect anyone, may it be next door neighbors, officemates, students, teachers, or even celebrities on TV and on stage, one of them being Selena Gomez.

Brief biography

A lot of things come to mind when people hear the name Selena Gomez: singer, dancer, actress, philanthropist, and many others. At a very young age, Selena has already set her foot in show business by starring in a well-known kids show called Barney and Friends. From there, Selena has made other appearances in movies and shows such as Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, Walker, and Brain Zapped. She has also made small roles in other televised shows such as Hannah Montana and Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Her career, however, took off when she was casted for a lead role on Wizards of Waverly Place.

She has accomplished a lot in her acting career and was no stranger to cameras. She has appeared in the movies Horton Hears a Who!, Another Cinderella Story, and Princess Protection Program. While being a successful actress, she also sang in different soundtracks for the movies she was in, and by the year 2008, she started to release her own singles with. Up till now, not only has she had many hit songs, she also sold over 7 million album copies and 22 million singles.

Asides from her showbiz career, Selena has also been a spokesperson for Borden Milk and encouraged the youth to take interest in learning about the presidential candidates last 2008. She has also been an ambassador for UNICEF and helps children around the world through her CAN (Charity, Act, Now) campaign.

Battling lupus and kidney transplant

Selena was always the fun and quirky girl in front of the cameras. Based on her achievements alone, she had a strong and level-headed attitude when it comes to her work. Selena still maintained a strong attitude and focused on her career even after being diagnosed with lupus in 2012. She proved that it is possible to rise above her condition by continuing to maintain her career and continued to release more music, while participating in several events. She was also awarded as Billboard’s 2017 Woman of the Year.

Her battles with Lupus were never evident in front of the screen, until recently. During an exclusive interview on The Today Show, Selena Gomez and her long-time friend, Francia Raisa talk about her recent kidney transplant. During the summer of 2017, Selena’s lupus symptoms worsened, greatly affecting her kidneys. Doctors told the young artist that she needed a transplant.

It was a terrible time for Selena as she was experiencing painful arthritis and kidney failure, consequently affecting her mental state. It would take several years to find a matching kidney donor, but fate and luck seemed to be on Selena’s side as her friend volunteered as a donor.

Despite the potential risks present for both parties, they still pushed through with the operation. It was a 6-hour surgery due to the fact that one of her arteries had apparently overturned. However, at the end of the day, the surgery was considered a success.

Selena claims that she felt some guilt about not accepting her symptoms and pushing herself too much as things might have turned out better in terms of her health. She and Francia Raisa are currently recovering from the surgery, and Selena is very grateful towards her friend for saving her life. After the surgery, she claims to be feeling much better as her symptoms have gone away.

Aftermath of the surgery

Surgical scars can be difficult to process, especially when they are quite noticeable and can vastly change how one looks. After the kidney transplant, Selena explains how she has learned to feel a sense of empowerment from her scars. Although she admits that it felt uncomfortable right after the surgery, having her scars has helped her come to terms with her current position and herself as a whole.

Selena has realized a lot of things from her experience with battling lupus and her kidney transplant. She has become more accepting and kind towards herself and questioned herself about the things she used to hate and complain about, which now holds no meaning to her. Selena pointed out that looking at her body only reminds her of life and how incredibly lucky she actually is. There are a million things that she could do with her scar. For her, what currently matters most is being grateful towards herself and for how far she has come.

The surgery has made Selena realize that there are more important things in life to be grateful about. With the surgery being a success, now is the time for her to re-evaluate her decisions and start focusing on what is really best for her.  

Winning the ongoing battle

Life can be very unpredictable. Sometimes, its surprises can be good, but in other times, they can be downright bad. Being diagnosed with lupus is not something to be taken lightly nor ignored; thus, people should be aware of the grave outcomes and effects that come with the disease. For people who are currently suffering from lupus and have gone through similar experiences as Selena, it’s very helpful to surround oneself with the right people and resources. Being diagnosed with lupus is nothing to be feared as many people have lived a great quality life even with the condition. It only takes self-care and proper management to make that a reality.

The stories such as Selena Gomez's experience should serve as both an inspiration and a lesson. Selena, despite struggling and battling the symptoms caused by lupus, still held her head up high and worked extremely hard to achieve her goals. She didn’t allow herself to be held down by the disease's hold, but instead strived for a life she believes that would bring her satisfaction and accomplishment.

Selena has also taught many people to accept and love who they are. Every single person on this planet is born with imperfections and should not wait for such unfortunate events to remind them of how lucky they actually are. It is good to be fueled by a drive to succeed, but that drive should also be combined with self-love and wisdom.