Selena Gomez is always finding ways to give back to the community.
The “Back to You” singer took the stage at the WE Day celebration to talk about how her personal health struggles taught her how to use her platform for good. The annual event, which took place on April 19 of this year at the Los Angeles Forum, promotes youth empowerment all over the world. The special, hosted by John Stamos, aired on Friday and featured a special moment with Gomez as she introduced 8-year-old Nellie Mainor, who suffers from a rare kidney disease.
“You are focusing on making the world a more hopeful place and you encourage me and all of my friends to do the same,” Gomez began, before opening up about her kidney transplant. “As maybe some of you know, I had a kidney transplant this year and so many people from across the country reached out and they offered their support. And others told me how hearing my story helped them find their own courage and helped other people want to get involved and donate. They reminded me how lucky I am to have a platform where I can share with you guys and I can pay the love forward.”
Will you help @SelenaGomez make the world a more hopeful place?
We’re in. Are you? #WEdaypic.twitter.com/EjNlndKF5K
— WE (@WEMovement) August 18, 2018
Gomez, who was diagnosed with lupus in October 2015, underwent a kidney transplant last fall. Her longtime friend, Francia Raisa, donated her kidney to Gomez, and the two opened up about their procedure a couple months later, during a sit-down interview for the Today show.
“My kidneys were just done,” Gomez told Savannah Guthrie. “That was it, and I didn’t want to ask a single person in my life…That was the day I came home and I found out. And [Raisa] volunteered and did it.”
“I guess I got to a point where it was really life or death,” she added.
Meanwhile, ET was on the WE Day red carpet back in April, where we caught up with Stamos, who had just welcomed his son, Billy.
