It's undeniably refreshing when A-list stars reveal their struggles about mental health; using their positions of influence, notoriety and power to encourage people to speak honestly and openly about hidden illnesses.
So we tip our metaphorical hat to actress Francia Raisa, who recalled the moment following her kidney donation to BFF Selena Gomez when she learned her recovery wouldn't be as easy as she'd hoped.
In a video for SELF magazine, the Secret Life of the American Teenager star explained the moment a social worker came in to discuss some difficult news post-op.
'It's going to be hard, the recipient is going to glow and she's going to recover a lot faster than the donor because she's getting something she needs and you are losing something you don't need to lose. It's going to be hard,' she revealed.
'And it was very hard,' she continued. 'Selena and I both went through a depression.'
Discussing the scars left on her body from the transplant, Francia urges society to realise that scars – be them physical or emotional – while part of you, don't define you.
'It's a part of your story. It's a part of the story that makes you special and you different,' she added.
From needing help taking a shower to using the toilet, Raisa admits that the months following her donation weren't plain sailing.
'It was rough for a couple of months. I am used to not being active. I am very active,' she admitted.
'This last year has been the craziest of my life,' she added, explaining she's moved house, donated a kidney, booked a role on Grown-ish and started dating new boyfriend Chris Adkins.
However, the 29-year-old credits Gomez for helping her through the dark times.
'I don't think I would have been able to handle it as well if I hadn't have gone through the storms in my life...storms suck but it's helped me appreciate my next journey and my next chapter in life,' she added.
In a new interview with W magazine, Raisa recently opened up about the serious health complications Gomez suffered during her kidney transplant last summer, revealing she 'could have' died.
'Recovery was hard,' she recalled. 'I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to drink anything. Selena did have a complication, too. A few hours after our surgery, I woke up and had a text from her that said, "I'm really scared."
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
