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Lupus

Selena Gomez's Instagram Post Is Already Having a Major Effect

Erin Migdol
 • 
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Selena Gomez has been open about her lupus since she confirmed her diagnosis in 2015, and her efforts to raise money and awareness for the illness have paid off — literally.

On Friday, Kenneth Farber, the president of the Lupus Research Alliance, confirmed to E! News that Gomez’s efforts to raise money for the organization by donating a portion of ticket sales from her concerts, asking for donations on her birthday, and sharing the organization’s website in her recent Instagram post about her kidney transplant had raised almost $500,000.

“Our phones have been ringing off the hook and our website traffic has soared,” Farber said.

In her post about her kidney transplant, Gomez wrote, “Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made. For more information regarding lupus please go to the Lupus Research Alliance Website: www.lupusresearch.org.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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. 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. 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. Lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made. For more information regarding Lupus please go to the Lupus Research Alliance website: www.lupusresearch.org/ -by grace through faith

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on

On her birthday in July, Gomez tweeted, “Asked my family and friends to make a donation — if you want to join.”

Earlier this year, Gomez also donated to the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine to create the Selena Gomez Research Fund, which will help fund lupus research.

Since Gomez revealed her kidney transplant, celebrities have been sharing their support for her (and Lady Gaga, who went public last week with her fibromyalgia diagnosis) on social media:

Gomez’s kidney donor, her friend and fellow actress Francia Raisa, also expressed her support and asked fans to donate to lupus research:

Photo courtesy of Selena Gomez’s Facebook page

Image via Creative Commons/conceptx_design

Erin Migdol
 • 

Erin is the former senior editor and chronic illness editor of The Mighty. She joined The Mighty in 2015 and previously worked at Inside Weddings magazine, Mic, and The Huffington Post. She was also the features editor at The California Aggie, UC Davis' student newspaper. She is honored to be a part of the Mighty community!

erin-migdol
Originally published: September 18, 2017
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