An Award With An Anecdote

By: Nicole King

     On November 30, 2017, a series of emotions penetrated the audience at the Billboard Awards Ceremony where singer and actress, Selena Gomez, earned the honorable award of Woman of the Year. This twenty five year old singer was at a loss of words as she gave a heartwarming benediction and dedicated the award to her best friend, Francia Raisa. These best friends started to get close in 2008 when they congregated at a Disney Channel and ABC Family event. The two teenagers were paired together to visit kids in a children's hospital where Raisa stated “We just clicked.” Though the two might be four years apart in age, it has done nothing aside from fortifying their bond.

     Many fans noticed Gomez laying low over this past summer and not producing any new hits. After the few months where she remained unheard of, Gomez posted a picture of her and Raisa in a hospital bed holding hands. In the caption, Gomez explained that she was informed in the early summer about the severity of her kidney Lupus, an inflammatory disease where a person's immune system attacks it’s own organs. After receiving this poignant news, she returned to her home she shares with Raisa. She grasped a water bottle which she soon came to realize she was too frail to open and launched it across the room. Frightened, Raisa sprinted over to the singer to comfort and soon discover what had the celebrity so feeble. Without contemplation, Raisa immediately shouted “Of course I’ll get tested!”.

     After many weeks of testing her physical and mental stability, Raisa received the call that she was a perfect match to donate her kidney to Gomez. They then proceeded by going into a lengthy two hour surgery to complete the transplant. Once they safely completed the surgeries, the two best friends got to reunite and see each other before regressing to their rooms. Once Gomez reached her room, she began to drift to sleep in peace. This feeling became very breif as the celebrity started to hyperventilate and was rushed back into surgery. Next up was a six hour procedure due to one of her arteries flipping in her body, causing a great deal of misery. Thankfully, her fresh kidney settled in precisely and she was on the road to recovery.

     Today, Gomez stands with high blood pressure, energy, and a three to five percent chance her Lupus will ever return. Though this news flattered Gomez, what she really wanted was to spread awareness. Everyone looks at her as if she has it all, but she wants her fans to get a glimpse of the struggles she has encountered. When receiving the Woman of the Year Award, Gomez told the audience “I respect the platform that I have been given so deeply.” Gomez will continue to use this platform to grow as a person and apprise those who look up to her that no matter how good people seem to have life, everyone has their own drawbacks.