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LOS ANGELES, April 16 (UPI) -- Sarah Hyland hasn't let her health issues hold her back. The 24-year-old actress detailed her lifelong struggle with kidney disease in a recent interview with Seventeen. Hyland underwent a kidney transplant due to her kidney dysplasia in 2012, but told the magazine she has defied expectations thus far.
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"I was born with so many health issues that doctors told my mother I would never have a normal life," she revealed. "When my mother told me that story, it resonated with me: If I can't have an ordinary life, I might as well have an extraordinary one. If you set your mind to something, you'll achieve it."
"When you're feeling vulnerable, it can lead to doubt and second-guessing. It will steer you away from your goals and your happiness," she said of pursuing one's dreams. "Once you have a goal, keep moving forward -- even if you're taking baby steps!"
Hyland has experienced several other challenges, including an allegedly abusive relationship with ex-boyfriend Matt Prokop. The actress is now happily dating Vampire Academy co-star Dominic Sherwood, whom she recently shared photos with on Instagram.
Hyland currently portrays Haley Dunphy on ABC sitcom Modern Family. The actress declared the role the best job she's had in her 20 years as an actress, saying, "Happiness, I've learned, comes from within. I am happiest when I am doing something I love."
