Earlier this week Lady Gaga revealed that she is suffering from Fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.

They may be beautiful, rich and famous, but celebrities are humans too, and that means they're just as prone to getting sick as the rest of us. So, in addition to spa treatments and relaxing getaways, celebrities also take time out of their busy schedules to be poked and prodded by doctors. And while their assistants may pick up their prescriptions, they still need to take their medicines.

This is not the first time celebrities have disclosed the fact that they've been suffering from chronic diseases. A similar amount of awe should be directed at Selena Gomez and her friend Francia Rais. Gomez very quietly went off and got a kidney transplant this month, generously donated by her friend (friendship goals, clearly!). Gomez needed this operation urgently because of lupus. In lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (‘foreign invaders’, like the flu).

Fans didn't have a clue about this until Gomez announced this through a beautiful yet heart-breaking picture on Instagram with a long caption. She wrote, "So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health. I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you", thanking her friend for giving her the incredible gift and that she feels blessed.

Similarly, Gaga posted a picture on September 18 after having to cancel her Rock in Rio set and postpone her European tour. “I use the word ‘suffer’ not for pity, or attention, and have been disappointed to see people online suggest that I'm being dramatic, making this up, or playing the victim to get out of touring”, she wrote to explain her fans that the problem is genuine.

Fans did not back out when it came to giving support and other patients suffering from similar diseases also opened up. Tweets started flooding in support of them the moment they posted the pictures.

There have been such other instances in the past. Actor Charlie Sheen made headlines in 2015 when he announced in an interview with Matt Lauer on the NBC show Today that he is HIV positive. Angelina Jolie announced in 2013 in The New York Times that she had undergone a double mastectomy after learning that she carried a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman's risk for breast cancer. TV and film star Michael J. Fox, known for starring in iconic movies such as Back to the Future was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, when he was 30 years old.

Having Gaga and Gomez simultaneously speaking out about their vulnerabilities has served to raise awareness about the diseases they suffer from and has given the world an important reminder that the chronically ill are also active, useful members of society, contrary to stereotypes that suggest otherwise.

The quiet bravery Gomez and Gaga previously employed when it came to their health battles was, with hindsight, quite astonishing. But the way they revealed them last week was the epitome of grace and resilience under extremely tough circumstances.