Sarah Hyland, known for her role as Haley Dunphy on Modern Family, was born with kidney dysplasia — a condition where one or both kidneys don't develop normally. She received her first kidney transplant from her father in 2012 at age 21.
For several years, it appeared the transplant was successful. But by 2017, Hyland's body had begun rejecting the donated organ. She received a second transplant, this time from her younger brother Ian, in 2017.
Hyland has written and spoken extensively about the physical and emotional challenges of living with chronic illness — including the depression, isolation, and existential fear that accompanied her health crises. In a 2019 essay for Self, she revealed she had considered suicide during her darkest period, making her one of the rare celebrity voices to connect chronic illness with mental health in such a direct way.
Her openness about the full experience — not just the medical facts but the psychological toll — has resonated deeply with people who have chronic illnesses and feel pressure to present themselves as cheerfully resilient. Hyland's message is more complex and more honest: serious illness is genuinely hard, and it's okay to acknowledge that.