Natalie Cole doing well after kidney transplant surgery

Grammy Award-winning singer Natalie Cole has underwent kidney transplant surgery in L.A. on Tuesday and is now “resting comfortably,” according to her rep.

Cole, 59, announced last July she had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and that she probably contracted the liver disease from drug use more than 30 years ago.

Her doctors said at the time she was responding well to treatment, including chemotherapy, but was suffering “significant side effects,” including kidney problems. Cole, who has undergone kidney dialysis three times a week since September, will be recovering for the next 3-4 months, but this could ultimately give her a new lease on life. “The kidney came from a deceased organ donor through the regional organ procurement agency, One Legacy,” her rep said in a statement.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is often without symptoms and can cause inflammation of the liver, and in extreme cases, liver cancer. It is usually contracted through transfusions of unscreened blood, or by injecting or inhaling drugs.

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