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Sarah Hyland opened up about feeling grateful to her body for battling an invisible illness in her latest Instagram post.
The Modern Family actress, 29, has been candid about her battle with a condition called kidney dysplasia, in which the kidneys, or parts of the kidneys, don't fully form in the womb, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). As a result, she's had 16 surgeries throughout her lifetime, including two kidney transplants one from her father in 2012, and the other from her brother in 2017 because her body rejected the first. (She recently celebrated her #kidneyversary, the second anniversary of the kidney transplant she received from her brother, Ian.)
Now, Sarah is showing even more vulnerability after a paparazzi pic of her stomach caused her to feel self-conscious of her body.
"To my fellow #invisibleillness warriors. Its ok to be insecure about your body. Just remember to check in with yourself at least once a day and say thank you. Our bodies have endured unfathomable feats that our minds barely have time to comprehend what has actually happened," she wrote in her post.
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She also talked about how much her body goes through behind the scenes, and how this picture initially made her feel bad about herself.
"With inflammation, excess water gain, and medications, my skin has a hard time bouncing back. I saw this picture and HATED it but quickly readjusted my attitude and decided to celebrate it. Love yourself and be patient. We are all stronger than we think we are."
Sarah's gotten a ton of support from her fiance Wells Adamshere's everything you need to know about their love story:
Her friends and fans are here for her.
"Yes Sarah" Laverne Cox commented. And actress Lilly Collins wrote, " Powerful mama."
Hairstylist Riawna Capri wrote,"I love you. Thank You for sharing and helping others to appreciate their battle scars that kept them alive. You are a gem and Im honored to have you in my life. ."
And actor Tyler Williams said, "Looking like the warrior queen you are ."