Woman of the Month: Francia Raisa

A best friend is like a four-leaf clover- hard to find and lucky to have. Sometimes so lucky that they are there to save your life.
 

Whether a Selena Gomez fan or not, you may have heard that Selena received a life-saving kidney transplant back in September 2017 from a very close friend of hers, Francia Raisa. In a new video released recently, Francia opens up about the experience of donating her kidney to Selena, which highlights the empowering and generous friend Francia truly is.

 image via mtv

 

A quick timeline through Selena and Francia’s friendship reveals the strong bond they have. The two met at a Disney and ABC family visit to a children’s hospital in 2008, Francia said that her and Selena “just clicked” and have been “sisters” ever since.

 
image via Chron 
 
Having undertaken the major surgery and overcome the long recovery of a kidney transplant, Francia reflects on the process as being an eye-opening experience.
 
“It was rough for a couple of months, having people help me take a shower, that was humbling. This last year has been the craziest of my life.”
 
In her recent video for SELF, Francia also looks advocates for self-love and positive body image, showing the scars left from the surgery and stating proudly
  
“My scars do not define me, my scars tell my story… Just me personally, life came into perspective”.
 
You can check out the full video here:
 
 
Beyond being a life-saving organ donor and loyal friend, Francia is also a successful actress- well known for her role on American sitcom Grown-nish (which she auditioned for only two weeks after her kidney transplant with Selena!)
  
Raised in Los Angeles, with a Honduran father and Mexican mother, Francia is also a proud Latina and has shared her personal immigration story in past interviews. She also speaks openly out about the hardships faced by Latina women In Hollywood, and constantly seeks roles that challenge typecasting Latina women, as the “hot, sexy, Latina”.
    
image via GotCeleb
 
As a talented actress, a powerful friend, and a proud Latina, Francia is truly reflective of the influential and amazing women of our generation that are making waves in society.