Sarah Hyland Had Two Kidney Transplants — inside Her Life with Kidney Dysplasia

Actress Sarah Hyland, best known as Haley in the hit sitcom "Modern Family," has undergone several surgeries due to multiple health problems, including kidney dysplasia.

When someone talks about people who grew up in front of the cameras, it is almost inevitable to think of "Modern Family" actors Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould, and Rico Rodriguez.

That period was so dark that she even contemplated suicide.

SARAH HYLAND IN "MODERN FAMILY"

In 2009, when they started working on the show, they were still underaged. With each season, we saw them grow from children to adults right in front of our eyes.

With Sarah Hyland, things were a bit different, especially because she was 19 years old already when "Modern Family" aired for the first time.

The fact that she was older than them, though, doesn't mean that things were easier for her. Actually, several aspects of Hyland's life have been very difficult, mainly because of her recurrent health problems.

Hyland was born with kidney dysplasia, a condition in which a fetus's kidneys do not develop normally while in the womb, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

SARAH HYLAND'S KIDNEY DYSPLASIA

The condition causes the patient's kidneys to grow cysts, which might stop them from working correctly. Sadly, Hyland's case is quite severe, so much so that she went into kidney failure.

In 2012, she got a kidney transplant from her father. A few years later, that kidney failed, and she spent months getting dialysis three times a week for four hours per session before getting a second kidney transplant in September 2017. This time, the donor was her brother.

Although Sarah Hyland's kidney problems were hardly ever discussed in front of the cameras, she made headlines in 2018 when she candidly talked about her condition during an interview with Self.

One of her many shocking revelations was that she had undergone about 16 surgeries throughout her life. It is important to point out that, at the time of the interview, she was 28 years old.

HYLAND WAS VERY DEPRESSED

In tears, Hyland recalled how terrible she felt when she learned that the kidney her dad gave her was failing. She called the transplanted kidney "a house that caught on fire," because no matter the treatment, you cannot unburn a house. She added:

"When a family member gives you a second chance at life and it fails, it almost feels like it's your fault. And it is not, but it does."

Hyland, who also has endometriosis, confessed that that period was so dark that she even contemplated suicide, all while working on "Modern Family." She admitted to being grateful for her family, as well.

Shortly after her Self interview, Sarah Hyland went on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to share more details about her depression, admitting that she was very close to taking her own life.

The actress said that she used to write letters in her head, trying to tell her loved ones why she, hypothetically speaking, ended her life. She didn't want to write them on paper to avoid anybody finding it.

Eventually, after keeping her suicidal thoughts secret for months, she decided to talk about it with somebody else. Hyland explained that just saying it out loud "helped immensely."

Fortunately, the new kidney that she received from her brother has been working fine, apparently, as no more surgeries or health-related news about her have been reported.

At the moment, Sarah Hyland and Well Adams, best known for "The Bachelorette," are engaged. The couple met on social media in 2017, and after dating for about two years, he proposed. It is still unclear when they will tie the knot, though.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.