Photography by Owen Kolasinski/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

Sarah Hyland Opens Up About Second Kidney Transplant and Suicidal Thoughts

Date December 11, 2018

In an emotional 7-minute video published by Self, Sarah Hyland reveals she received a second kidney transplant in 2016, and opens up about struggling with suicidal thoughts during the process.

In 2012, the Modern Family actor underwent her first kidney transplant—which she has openly spoken about—with her dad as the organ donor. All was well until recently: “What most people don’t know is about two years ago I went into rejection,” Hyland told Self while tearing up.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, about 7 per cent of transplants fail within a year, and 17 per cent of people will lose their transplants within 3 years. Rejection can be the result of many factors, from blood clots and infections to medication or even forgetting to take medication. However, Hyland states that her doctors are still unsure of what caused the rejection.

“At that time I was very depressed; for a long time I was contemplating suicide. I had gone through 26 years of always being a burden.”

“At that time I was very depressed; for a long time I was contemplating suicide,” she says. “I had gone through 26 years of always being a burden.” The now 28-year old-says was required to undergo dialysis—a treatment done to help filter your blood and keep your body in check—from February to October 2017, during which she was hooked up to machine three times a week, for 4-hour sessions. In July of that year, she found out her younger brother was a match.

“When a second family member, someone you’re supposed to look after, like a little brother, wants to give you a third chance at life, it’s scary, because you don’t want to fail them,” she says.

In the days leading up to Hyland’s surgery, she attended an Emmy party (Sept 16), appeared at the Emmys (Sept 17), was on the Modern Family set (Sept 18), and was at the hospital the next day for 4 a.m.

“When a second family member, someone you’re supposed to look after, like a little brother, wants to give you a third chance at life, it’s scary, because you don’t want to fail them.”

“I’ve never been ashamed to show my scars,” she tells the camera, revealing that she’s had 7 surgeries before the age of 4, and was also dealing with endometriosis and a hernia during the time of her kidney rejection. Check out the full video below: