Selena Gomez says she's 'in debt' to her best friend for kidney transplant in 2017

Selena Gomez acknowledged her gratefulness to her best friend Francia Raisa, who willingly donated her kidney to the singer.

In the latest episode of Apple TV+'s documentary series Dear..., Gomez reflected on receiving a kidney transplant from Francia in 2017, when she struggled with life-threatening health issues due to complications from lupus, according to a PEOPLE report.

"My best friend, her name is Francia. She said, 'No, I am absolutely getting tested,'" Gomez recalled as she spoke about her journey with the autoimmune disease. "And within three days, she went to get tested, and she was a match. It was one of those moments where I felt watched over. I know I was so so so lucky."

The Only Murders in the Building star continued: "I understand that that doesn't happen for a lot of people, and I know the outcome of some of those situations and how serious they are, so I do not take it lightly that it's happened to me that way."

The decision, added Gomez, has made her "in debt" to Raisa.

"I will never ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia," she added. "The idea of someone not even second-guessing to be a donor was unbelievably overwhelming."

In March 2021, nearly four years after she received her friend's kidney, the Lose You to Love Me singer reposted a thread written by Raisa in honor of World Kidney Day.

"If you've been following me for a while, you know that I've kept my kidney donation process pretty private," Raisa wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of herself in the hospital. "However, I think I've gotten to a point in my life where I feel comfortable and confident in speaking about my experience and using my platform to raise awareness for the various kidney diseases that affect our population."

She continued, "So, in honor of World Kidney Day, let's talk about the impact of kidney disease and how we can work to ensure those living with kidney disease are living well." (ANI)