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Cape Town - Selena Gomez had a brush with death following her kidney transplant, her best friend reveals.
The 25-year-old’s friend, Francia Raisa, revealed in an interview with W Magazine that the Wolves singer "could’ve died" after she suffered serious complications during her kidney transplant last year.
"Recovery was hard," Francia told the magazine. "I didn’t want to eat, I didn’t want to drink anything. Selena had a complication too.
"A few hours after our surgery, I woke up and had a text from her that said, 'I’m really scared. My kidney was very active, and when it turned I broke an artery.'
"They had to take her into emergency surgery and get a vein from her leg and build a new artery to keep my kidney in place. She could’ve died."
29-year-old Francia, who’s acted in the movie Bring It On: All or Nothing, also said she left it up to Selena to decide when to disclose the kidney transplant to the public.
"We didn't want to tell anybody because recovery was hard for us, and we both went through a depression at the time. We kind of just wanted to be normal and not have that attention on us."
"I really left it up to her. I've never had anything personal come out about me before. I've dated famous people, and no one knows because I'm private. I was like, 'Did you have to be famous?'" she says.
The two kept the surgery a secret for weeks and only revealed details about the transplant on the TODAY show last year October.
"My kidneys were just done," Selena said. "That was it, and I didn’t want to ask a single person in my life.
"The thought of asking someone to do that was really difficult for me. She volunteered and did it. And let alone someone wanting to volunteer, it’s incredibly difficult to find a match.
"The fact that she was a match, I mean that’s unbelievable. That’s not real."
The songstress also opened up about the difficulties and recalled how doctors told her she needed another surgery as her new kidney was turning around in her body.
"My teeth were grinding, I was freaking out. It was a six-hour surgery they had to do on me, and the normal kidney process is actually two hours.
"Apparently one of the arteries had flipped. I’m very grateful that there are people who know what to do in that situation."
Francia revealed both she and Selena are happy and living healthy lives.
"My health is good. I have a new home, I have an amazing new boyfriend that I met on set. I went back to dance class for the first time last week. Now I'm more motivated and inspired than ever," says Francia.
"I’m beyond grateful that God would trust me with something that not only saved a life but changed mine in the process."
Sources: eonline.com, people.com, hollywoodlife.com, wmagazine.com
