--- title: Selena Gomez Says She's Recovering from a Kidney Transplant description: Singer and actress Selena Gomez revealed why she's been staying out of the public eye — she's been recovering from a kidney transplant canonical: https://time.com/4941186/selena-gomez-recovering-from-a-kidney-transplant/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-14T12:54:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:51:25.471Z og:title: Selena Gomez Says She's Recovering from a Kidney Transplant og:description: Gomez posted a photo of her and Francia Raisa, who donated her kidney to Gomez og:url: https://time.com/4941186/selena-gomez-recovering-from-a-kidney-transplant/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc51515e151cf1e4f/6988ddc04ee262298a30efcf/gettyimages-458678872.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4085 og:image:height: 2298 og:image:alt: selena gomez francia riasa kidney transplant og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Selena Gomez Says She's Recovering from a Kidney Transplant twitter:description: Gomez posted a photo of her and Francia Raisa, who donated her kidney to Gomez twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc51515e151cf1e4f/6988ddc04ee262298a30efcf/gettyimages-458678872.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Selena Gomez Is Recovering From a Kidney Transplant > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=d2134c07-4fc5-4256-9d51-19432830ab66&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: FIRSTS Selena Gomez [Watch (HLS stream): FIRSTS Selena Gomez](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jdSSgfy5.m3u8) (1:51)  _Published 2017-09-06. Selena Gomez is the FIRST person to reach 100 million followers on Instagram._ by [Lisa Marie Segarra](https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Sep 14, 2017 12:54 PM UTC Selena Gomez is the FIRST person to reach 100 million followers on Instagram. by [Lisa Marie Segarra](https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Sep 14, 2017 12:54 PM UTC Singer and actress [Selena Gomez](http://time.com/4936487/selena-gomez-on-friends/) revealed why she’s been staying out of the public eye for part of the summer — she’s been recovering from a kidney transplant. Gomez, [who has opened up about living with Lupus before](http://motto.time.com/4473229/selena-gomez-lupus-time-off/), said she looks forward to sharing more of her journey with fans and shared the [Lupus Research Alliance’s website](http://www.lupusresearch.org/) for people who want to know more about the disease. “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. 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. 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,” Gomez posted on Instagram, along with a picture of [Raisa](http://time.com/4089611/secret-life-of-the-american-teenager-ending/). ## Transcript People will look at you and they'll try to define you whether you're a woman whether you're young. They'll try and capon off what you are able to do, but people can only do that if you let them, and so I always viewed my job as defining myself. If we are in a meeting we're there for a reason, not to just sit there and absorb. If you are only there, not speaking, you kind of create the impression that you're not prepared to be there. You need to participate and you need to know what you're talking about. You can ask a man to do a job that he's never been qualified to do, and he will raise his hand and say, absolutely, I will do that job. Women always say, I'm not sure if I'm ready yet. I'm not Need more experience. I don't necessarily know if there's anything wrong with being more cautious and careful. I mean, why have we come to decide that being brash and overly aggressive should be the way we are? But we should also know that we're not going to feel any wiser or any more ready in ten years than we did ten years ago. So we might as well just leap. There is a lot of perception of my gosh, this is really hard because of the gender. What are you going to do about that? Just not do it? If you want to do something you just do it. Then, hope that people catch up to you. [ MUSIC ] For girls that are gonna be playing Little League, anything could happen. You could be up by ten runs and you can lose the game. So stay focused, make sure you play as a team. And hopefully, you hit a home run, cuz no girl's ever hit a home run. And I'll be cheering for you. You'll never make everyone happy. So you just have to be exactly who it is that you are and at least know that you've been true to yourself. It's about attitude, aptitude, and opportunity. Who knew I would be here? But it all started with folks that thought I had a good attitude. That put me in places that challenged me and then provided me opportunities because I met and exceeded the standard. You often realize, people want you to succeed, and they often have very good solutions, both practical and in terms of thinking of opportunities for you. And the other thing is, I think it's not too bad To have periods of great intensity doing one thing or the other. Meryl Streep once said, " Every successful woman's life has it's ebbs and flows ." Know your power. Know the power of your intellect, of your values and your committment, the courage you have, and don't let anybody trivialize How you have spent your years. All of them have contributed to making a very unique and special person. Just take joy. Don't let anyone discourage you from that thing that you love the most. It's more about making a life. Them making a living. That's what matters. 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