As CB reported last week, Selena Gomez disclosed she’d had a kidney transplant. Selena’s best friend, Francia Raisa, donated her kidney to Selena. I think most of us who read that post got pretty choked up about it – it was an emotional highlight in a kind of dreary week. Well, if we got emotional, you can only imagine how Selena’s mother, Mandy Teefey, must have felt. Mandy is a young mom, having had Selena at age 16. Selena was only five when Mandy divorced Selena’s dad and Mandy got primary custody of her. She worked very hard to provide for them, at one point working three jobs to support them. Selena once said she blamed her mother for the divorce because she, “wanted to have my mom and dad together,” and still feels bad about how angry she was at her mom. Needless to say, they have a very strong bond, one that left Mandy frantic as Selena’s health declined and elated that Francia would make such a sacrifice.
Selena Gomez’s mom opened up about the singer’s kidney transplant on Monday, September 18. Mandy Teefey shared an emotional message about the experience on her production company’s Instagram page.
“This picture is one of the most breathtaking images that will live with me forever,” she captioned a pic of her daughter and actress Francia Raisa in their hospital beds. “For all those moments of not knowing if we were going up or going down, I can always come back to this picture and know we can always make it back up. As a mother I was helpless, scared and all I could do was pray for both of them, Francia’s beautiful family.”
“I am pretty sure I am banned from that hospital,” she continued. “Mama Bear was in high gear. Selena gained a kidney, I was able to keep my little girl, but I also gained another daughter … thank you to everyone who was there for Sel, Francia and our families. We survived from all the love, prayers and God.”
Who saw Steel Magnolias? Remember when they’re discussing Shelby’s transplant and saying her part was easy but, “… M’Lynn’s is terrible. They basically have to saw her in half to get her kidney out.” I think of that line every time I hear about a kidney transplant. I went through this experience with a friend who donated his kidney to his brother after a bicycle accident (everyone is healthy today). It was a little frightening to me because I didn’t know much about it at the time. But my friend seemed more grateful that he could help than any other emotion. The whole experience was marked by a certain sense of selfless beauty, much like Selena’s story. I understand what Mandy means about looking at the picture of Selena and Francia in their hospital beds – it is ‘breathtaking.’ I love her comment about gaining another daughter, I don’t doubt that is exactly how she feels. The desire to keep your kids safe is pretty potent. When you can’t, it is practically paralyzing. I’m sure Mandy watching Selena suffer was crippling so it must have been such a relief when Francia stepped up to save her. I’ll bet Mandy would take a bullet for any member of Francia’s family.
Photo credit: Getty Images, and Instagram
She looks a lot like her mom
Her mom kind of looks like Jenna Fischer
Wow, that is some serious shit to go through. My soft spot for her is only getting softer, apparently.
You’d be amazed how quickly you’d be willing to give up a kidney when it’s somebody you cared about. My friend’s son is going to need one at some point because of the immune suppressants he takes for his heart transplant, and I told her that if she winds up needing an O- donor, I would give him mine. I didn’t even think about – it just came out before I could stop myself. As a pre-med and hospital worker, I’m not blind to what a major deal surgery is, either. We’re so often helpless when it comes to the care of the people we love. Being able to spare an organ is about giving somebody the gift of life; my friend’s son is alive because another family gave away their baby’s heart. I want him to be alive to continue honoring that sacrifice.
That’s her mother?? Oh lord, She’ll never age!
Give me those genetics!
I think her lupus was brought on by cocaine and the blind item in blind gossip fits this one
This kind of ignorance is cruel for people with autoimmune disease and lupus in particular.
@Who are these people
just so you know, cocaine and heroin are associated with renal failure. she DOES have lupus and it is a HORRIFIC illness. Drug use doesn’t trigger Lupus, that was already in her and I agree it is ignorant to think that somehow causes this (it doesnt and people who would argue that dont know science, at all). But when you use drugs, the autoimmune disease is an even faster way to renal failure than if you didn’t have it. I truly believe The Weeknd, who has been rumored to use veeeerry hard drugs (like heroin), undoubtably isn’t the best companion for her.
I believe the blind. But I’m not gonna fault her for getting a new kidney (what is she just gonna do, sit there and die?! Hello??) but I do hope she abstains from any drug use post-kidney transplant…that organ is such a gift. Dont throw it away, Selena.