- Sarah Hyland paid tribute to her brother on the second anniversary of her kidney transplant.
- Her brother, Ian Hyland, was the one who gave her the life-changing gift.
- Sarah was forced to undergo a second kidney transplant, after the kidney she received during her first procedure began to fail.
In an effort to normalize what it means to deal with a chronic illness, Sarah Hyland has been very open about her ongoing health issues. When she was younger she was diagnosed with a disorder called kidney dysplasia, a condition where the kidneys don't develop normally while in the womb. Sarah's estimated that she's had about 16 surgeries through her lifetime, including two kidney transplants. She was forced to get a second kidney transplant two years ago, after the kidney she received during her first procedure began to fail. Sarah received her second kidney from her brother Ian and she just posted the sweetest tribute to him on the second anniversary of that life-changing procedure.
"2 years ago today my precious little brother gave me the gift of life. Thank you for not only giving me your fucking kidney but for everything else you do. I love you so much @thehotterhyland ❤️ happy Kidneyversary!!!!" Sarah wrote on Instagram, under a photo where she's standing next to Ian wearing a gorgeous navy blue gown.
Sarah's brother posted the same photo to commemorate the day, captioning it "Happy Kidneyversary to an incredible older sister and all around badass. I am so happy that you are living your dreams and have such an incredible year and life ahead of you. You make me so proud to be your brother. I love you, sis!"
He also made sure to plug in Sarah's upcoming movie "The Wedding Year." "Also, if you want to go see an awesome romcom that is actually really funny, please go see @theweddingyear this weekend!" he wrote.
Sarah's brother wasn't the first family member to step in amidst her health crisis. Sarah's first kidney transplant was the result of a kidney donation from her father Edward, but four years later, the kidney went into failure, forcing Sarah to find another donor.
In an emotional interview with Self, Sarah was open about how going into kidney failure after the first transplant affected her. “I was very depressed,” she told them. “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."
Sarah even admitted she thought about hurting herself. "For a long time, I was contemplating suicide, because I didn't want to fail my little brother like I failed my dad,” she said.
But reaching out to those around her helped Sarah escape the dark place she was in, she told Self.
Though they haven't set a wedding date yet, Sarah will soon be married to her fiancé Wells Adams, who she started dating shortly before her second kidney transplant. The final season of her hit TV show, Modern Family, is also set to premiere soon.
Jasmine Gomez is the Commerce Editor at Women’s Health, where she cover the best product recommendations across beauty, health, lifestyle, fitness, and more. When she's not shopping for a living, she enjoys karaoke and dining out more than she cares to admit. Follow her @JazzeGomez.
