Selena Gomez revealed she has been recovering from kidney transplant surgery, sharing photos on Instagram after her longtime friend Francia Raisa donated an organ to the singer.
Gomez, 25, who revealed earlier that she was suffering from lupus, posted a picture Thursday morning of her in a hospital bed next to Raisa, an actress best known for "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," People magazine reported.
"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," Gomez wrote on Instagram.
"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. 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," she continued.
Gomez said that Raina gave her the "ultimate gift and sacrifice" by donating a kidney to Gomez.
The Instagram post has gone viral with more than 4.7 million likes in five hours.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that triggers inflammation in different tissues of the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. The most common type of lupus is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects different parts of the body including internal organs, the CDC noted.
"I am incredibly blessed," Gomez said on Instagram. "Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made."
Gomez first revealed her Lupus diagnosis in 2015 and had been public about its impact on her health, career, and quality of life, USA Today reported.
Neither Gomez nor her publicist shared when or where the transplant took place. Gomez had been spotted at New York Fashion Week, which wrapped up Wednesday, and took part in Tuesday's Hand in Hand telethon for hurricane victims, USA Today said.