Sarah Hyland shared “her truth” late Thursday night with the news that she is back in the hospital. The actress, who has a chronic kidney condition, said that she was “torn from work against my will” to deal with her health.
Hyland, 27, has been open with her fans about her health issues ever since she underwent a kidney transplant in April 2012. The Modern Family star revealed to Seventeen one month later that she has a condition called kidney dysplasia, which means her kidneys did not develop properly when she was in the womb, and frequently form painful cysts.
Hyland was lucky to have the help of her family when she needed a kidney transplant at age 21.
“You know that family is always going to be there for you — no matter what. My dad gave me a freakin kidney!” she tells the magazine. “I have a second chance at life — not a lot of people get that.”
Three years later, she spoke again with Seventeen, and said that doctors had low expectations when she was born.
“I was born with so many health issues that doctors told my mother I would never have a normal life. And she said, ‘You’re right, she won’t — but it won’t be because of her health,’ ” Hyland said. “When my mother told me that story, it resonated with me.”
And she did go on to have an anything-but-normal life, with her role on Modern Family and plenty of awards and accolades to go along with it. But eight years into her role as teenage daughter Hayley Dunphy, she had to skip the 2017 Screen Actors Guild awards to deal with her health.
“Sad to say I will not be attending the sag awards today for some health reasons,” she tweeted.
Four months later, she opened up about a year that “brought a lot of changes,” to shut down rumors about her fluctuating weight. Hyland said that she was told to stop working out, which left her without the muscle mass she previously loved on her body — and made her look too thin.
“‘Eat a burger,’ ‘your head is bigger than your body and that’s disgusting,’ ” she quoted. “And you’re right! … No one’s head should be bigger than their body but considering I’ve basically been on bed rest for the past few months, I’ve lost a lot of muscle mass. My circumstances have put me in a place where I’m not in control of what my body looks like. So I strive to be as healthy as possible, as everyone should.”
“Oh and no that’s not photoshop,” she added. “Those are my legs. Those are my arms. I write this because I’ve been accused of promoting anorexia in, ironically enough, an anti bullying post. And I want young girls to know that that’s NOT my intention.”
Hyland explained that while the rest of her body mass slimmed down from the lack of exercise, her face grew due to her kidney medication.
“I don’t mind when you say that I look pregnant. Or fat. Because I know that my face is swollen from my medication that is saving my life,” she said. “For those on Prednisone I know what you’re going through and I commend you sticking it out as I have.”
Later that year, while calling out President Donald Trump’s decision to roll back an Obamacare requirement that employers include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans without a co-pay, Hyland explained why that is a huge problem for people with chronic reproductive problems.
“This is what he focuses on when there are murderous mass shootings and natural disasters destroying lives! THIS?!” she tweeted. “TALK TO ME WHEN YOU HAVE ENDOMETRIOSIS, OVARIAN CYSTS, PAINFUL IRREGULAR CYCLES ETC. [Birth control] is for more than just our sex lives you pig.”
She stood up for her and others’ medication needs again in December, when a CVS store closed without notifying her.
“Hey @cvspharmacy when you tell a kidney transplant recipient that her medication will be ready before you close and that you will notify her when it’s ready to be picked up. F—— DO IT BEFORE YOU CLOSE. PEOPLE LIKE ME CANT AFFORD TO GO WITHOUT MEDICATION,” she tweeted.
Then in March 2018, Hyland was forced to take it easy for about two months for an undisclosed issue. She expressed her frustration with the lack of help from her doctors, but thanked boyfriend Wells Adams for his support.
“For those who are chronically ill and in chronic pain: Have you had the experience of doctors not listening to you? If so, how do you not tear their heads off with your bare hands?” Hyland tweeted.
She later shared a photo of herself relaxing on the couch with a bag of chips and her dog, with the caption, “My life for the next 6 to 8 weeks. I’m ok with it.”
Now, three months later, Hyland is again forced to forgo her daily life — she was at work filming the upcoming movie The Wedding Year until her hospitalization on Monday — because of her body. But, as Hyland said, “health should always come first.”
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