Selena Gomez Gives Back For Personal Cause, Donates Money For Lupus Research

Last year, Selena Gomez revealed that she was diagnosed with lupus, so it comes as no surprise that she understands the struggle of the patients suffering from the disease. Gomez recently showed her support for the search for a cure of its many negative effects by donating money for lupus research.

Gomez sent a donation to the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine to kickstart its lupus research. The star was hopeful that this would benefit many people in the long run. “I continue to be optimistic about the progress being made in lupus research and am proud to support the promising work at Keck School of Medicine,” Gomez said in a statement obtained by People. “I am hopeful for the millions of us around the world that may benefit from this.”

No doubt the donation for the lupus research and what it could yield are important to the “Same Old Love” singer. Gomez’s fund will support a pilot research program that will focus on treating complications of the autoimmune disease. The research will be led by Janos Peti-Peterdi, professor of physiology and biophysics at the Keck School of Medicine.

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The “Hands To Myself” singer canceled her world tour last year due to the illness and took a break from the entertainment industry. Gomez suffered from panic attacks and depression, which are just some of the negative side effects of her lupus, Daily Mail reported.

“I’ve discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges,” Gomez announced in a statement last year, Entertainment Tonight reported. “I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off.”

When Gomez announced her lupus-related panic attacks, there was a 250 percent spike in Google searches for “Selena Gomez health disease.” This seemed to imply that many were not aware of lupus and its symptoms.

Gomez returned to the limelight after two months and said an emotional speech at the 2016 American Music Awards. She also did not forget to thank her fans for their continued support.

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