Modern Family star Sarah Hyland is a survivor in every sense of the word. This is her story. Interview by SELF
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00:00I had gone through 26 years of always being a burden, of always having to be
00:11looked up after, having to be cared for, because I've always had health issues.
00:20Sarah knew she made it when she landed her big break on the hit show Modern
00:25Family as stereotypical teen Hayley Dunphy. But behind the scenes, Sarah's
00:36life was anything but easy. Sarah was born with a condition called kidney
00:40dysplasia. Her kidneys never fully developed. Before her fourth birthday, she
00:46had undergone a total of seven surgeries, and doctors told her that she would
00:50never live a normal life. Three years into filming the show, one of Sarah's
00:55kidneys suddenly stopped working. Fighting for her life, Sarah tried to
00:59remain strong for her family, her fans, and the show. It wasn't until her father
01:05got tested that she finally got a chance to breathe. It turned out he was a match,
01:10and he wanted to give her his kidney. Months later, Sarah returned to set with
01:15her new kidney. Her career was in full swing, and Modern Family was sweeping up
01:20all the awards. Things were finally looking up for Sarah, but halfway through
01:25season 7 of the show, she received bad news yet again. Her body had gone into
01:30rejection. Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst, Sarah went into
01:35overdrive. She did all the tests and treatments she could to allow her body
01:40to accept the kidney, and spent Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's, and her birthday
01:47in the hospital. Sadly, nothing more could be done. We did all of these tests
01:53and all of these treatments to try and save the kidney, but they basically said
01:58the transplanted kidney was like a house that caught on fire. You can't unburn a
02:03house. And that's when I started dialysis, because everything just went kaput. I
02:09needed to be hooked up to a machine three times a week for four hours per
02:15session. And at that time, I was
02:20very depressed.
02:23For a long time, I was contemplating suicide. I had gone through 26 years
02:33of always being a burden, of always having to be looked up after, having to
02:40be cared for, because I've always had health issues. Her weight dropped
02:46dramatically, and rumors started swirling that she was anorexic. But offset, Sarah
02:52battled other symptoms in secret. Her face would swell up due to the drugs, and
02:57her rise in blood pressure damaged her vision. And then, she got some good news.
03:02Her brother was a match. When a second family member, someone who you're supposed
03:10to look after, like a little brother, wants to give you a third chance at life,
03:18it's scary, because you don't want to fail them. But Sarah refused to take another
03:26kidney from a loved one. Still, her brother insisted. Two days before her
03:32second transplant, Sarah met the love of her life while attending a party. His
03:38name was Wells Adams. Sarah was scared to fall for him, but as the night wore on,
03:44she knew that Wells was special. The next day, Sarah was back in the hospital for
03:49her transplant. Wells made sure he FaceTimed Sarah the entire time. He's
03:54seen me at my worst. I think that's why I feel the most beautiful in his eyes. For
04:00the next few weeks, Sarah was briefly written out of the show so she could
04:04recover. And when she returned, she was welcomed on set with open arms. During
04:09this period, Sarah found strength in her family, Wells, and her dogs. Despite her
04:16health struggles and undergoing 16 surgeries throughout her life, Sarah
04:21isn't letting her struggles define her. My name is Sarah. I have two of the most
04:27amazing dogs in the entire world. I have the best boyfriend ever. I have the
04:33greatest family one could ask for. I love working. Oh, and also, I have kidney
04:37failure. Oh, and also, I'm a two-time kidney recipient. It was the worst and
04:41best year of my life. It started out horrific, and it ended with a beautiful
04:50beginning of not just a new chapter, but a new book.