As we grow up to be adults, we are in some way impacted by others, whether it be people in our lives or celebrities. As people, we see celebrities as perfect and people whose lives seem to be absolutely amazing, and perfect, but that is not always the case. Countless of our popular celebrities ranging from movies to models face hardships in their lives. Many celebrities are diagnosed with diseases and they are forced to live with it, knowing that their fans know about it. Some celebrities, like Selena Gomez, are now open about battling their diseases. Gomez had to undergo a kidney transplant after discovering the severity of her disease, Lupus. Sophomore, Erin Shinkle, likes many of Gomez’s songs, and listen to her songs when she was younger. Shinkle has known about Gomez’s disease and transplant and said that she hoped that Gomez would be okay battling through it the rest of her life.

“Selena Gomez is an amazing singer and not many people know that she has Lupus and that she battles with it, and a lot of people has given her backlash for taking time for herself, and I can tell it hurts. I support Selena in her decision of wanting to take off time of music, because it is what she needs,” Shinkle said.

Many celebrities who have diseases learn to live with them and discuss with their followers their situation, but not letting it define them. These celebrities do not let their diseases control them, but instead show who they are through what they do. Musical icon, Justin Bieber, has recently announced that he has Lyme Disease during the release of his documentary. Lyme Disease is a disease that is caused by the bites of ticks and it is said to never go away. Knowing this, Bieber still makes music and lives his life just how it was before he was diagnosed, because he does not let the disease affect him. Bieber has many fans who still respect him and love him even if they now know that he has a disease. Bieber is still a person who impacts people on a daily basis and continues to be himself. Sophomore, McKenna Murray, grew up loving Bieber’s music and found about his disease, but still supports him.

“I like celebrities, like Justin Bieber, who do not let something tear them down. Knowing you have a disease is the scariest thing ever, but when you are a celebrity, it is even scarier. Justin inspires me to be who I am and not let something tear me down,” Murray said.

Celebrities tend to keep many things out of the public eye, like relationships and illnesses. Celebrities are human too and they want to feel safe and not feel like the whole world is watching them 24/7 and judging them for something that is going on. Celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne and Michael J. Fox are celebrities you would never expect to have a disease, but both have Parkinson’s disease. Osbourne has been recently diagnosed with the disease, but would rather keep it out of the public eye so he can focus on himself and not the disease. Sophomore, Haley Hudson, believes that not every celebrity has to openly talk about their lives and what they are going through.

“If you are a celebrity, you should keep your private life private. If you are going through something, do not talk about it with a lot of people so the world knows. Celebrities should not be forced to talk about everything that is going on in their lives,” said Hudson.

Celebrities impact people to do greater things and not to care about anyone else’s opinion. Being who you are can inspire others as well. Letting something, like a disease, define who you are is not the way you should carry yourself, because you can lose confidence in yourself.