Sarah Hyland is no stranger to the challenges of living with chronic illness. After being diagnosed with kidney dysplasia as a young child, she received kidney transplant from her father in 2012. A few years later, that kidney failed, leading to a second kidney transplant, donated to her by her younger brother.
She knows what it takes to turn sickness into strength. And earlier this month, she shared a photo she “hated” on Instagram, along with a message specifically for her followers in the invisible illness community.
“To my fellow #invisibleillness warriors,” Sarah said, “It’s 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. 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.”
Thank you, Sarah, for this reminder! Hopefully we can all take time to celebrate what our bodies CAN do, and how strong we truly are.