Kidney

transplant left Selena Gomez with scars in 2017. Initially, she would hide them,

but now she feels like a ‘warrior’.

The singer

did the procedure after suffering organ damage caused by lupus. Her friend, Francia

Raisa, gave her one of her kidneys.

But at the start

of her recovery, Gomez was sad because she didn’t look the same.

Gradually,

her confidence grew, and her perspective changed.

“But

I’m also around some of the best people, who see beyond the things we sometimes

get wrapped up in. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that scar, and now I

look at it in a much different way… I feel like I’m more of a warrior,”

she told People.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

After hiding

the scars for about three years, Gomez revealed them in September. Wearing a

blue swimsuit, the singer exposed the scar that is on the inside of her thigh.

“When I

got my kidney transplant, I remember it being very difficult at first showing

my scar,” she captioned the photo on Instagram. “I didn’t want it to

be in photos, so I wore things that would cover it up. Now, more than ever, I

feel confident in who I am and what I went through…and I’m proud of

that.”