Sarah Hyland Opens Up About Second Kidney Transplant & Battle With Mental Health

Though her life may appear to be perfect on the outside, Modern Family star Sarah Hyland still faces her own battle with demons and health issues.

As fans of Hyland know, the actress has faced ongoing issues with her kidneys for years, suffering from a battle with kidney dysplasia, according to E! Online. The star shocked fans in 2012 by revealing that she underwent a kidney transplant to save her life. Luckily, her father was able to gift her with his kidney but a few years after the transplant, Hyland’s body started to reject it. She spent a few months in the hospital and tried to do treatments to save the kidney but nothing was successful.

Then, in February of 2017, she had to have a port implanted in her chest before undergoing dialysis. Like many others, Hyland faced a number of side effects from the treatments including weight loss and vision damage in addition to countless other things. It was then that fans on social media accused the actress of being anorexic, to which she explained her ongoing kidney issues.

In her interview with Self, the actress admitted that she has had 16 surgeries, with six of them coming in the past year and a half. Hyland ended up having to get her first kidney from her father removed, but luckily her younger brother, Ian Hyland, was a match to give her his kidney. But this took a toll on Hyland, who felt like she was taking away something from her family members.

“I was very depressed. When a family member gives you a second chance at life, and it fails, it almost feels like it’s your fault. It’s not. But it does. For a long time, I was contemplating suicide because I didn’t want to fail my little brother like I failed my dad. I had gone through [my whole life] of always being a burden, of always having to be looked after, having to be cared for.”

But, Hyland was able to get through the incredibly rough time in her life by talking about her thoughts and feelings. She also encourages others who are going through a dark time in their lives to reach out to someone and talk to them, it’s not a shameful thing to bring up, she says, and she also has a message for people who try and shame someone else’s physical or mental health.

“If someone acts like that, feel sorry for them that they can’t be a compassionate, loving human being,” she says. “You don’t need that type of person in your life. I’ve experienced that, and it’s heartbreaking.”

Hyland credits her dogs, boyfriend, and family for helping her to get through such a difficult time.