(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Sarah Hyland is thankful for getting a "second chance at life" after having a kidney transplant.

The Modern Family star has had a lifelong battle with kidney dysplasia and revealed she underwent the operation last month.

In an interview with the new issue of US magazine Seventeen, Sarah explained her father gave her the new lease of life.

"You know that family is always going to be there for you no matter what. My dad gave me a freakin' kidney! But it's also the families that you create outside of your family. And you really find out what kind of people you're friends with," she told the publication.

"I have a second chance at life not a lot of people get that."

Sarah's actor beau Matt Prokop has also been a tower of support. The 21-year-old star feels so grateful for his unwavering kind nature.

"It was just amazing, and it really opened my eyes to see who's there for me and who's not," she explained.

"[Matt] helps me with my medication and takes me to doctor appointments and all the stuff that I need to do to take care of myself. Any other 21-year-old guy would not be there, I guarantee it. I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have him be there for me." (C) Cover Media