Hayley Erbert Hough, a professional dancer, recently shared a poignant reflection on the past year, marked by a life-threatening medical emergency and a triumphant return to the stage. In December 2023, Erbert Hough underwent emergency surgery for a cranial hematoma, a life-altering event that profoundly impacted her life.
Erbert Hough took to Instagram to express her complex emotions about the past year. She described experiencing immense struggle and heartbreak alongside significant personal growth, love, and a renewed sense of purpose. Despite the challenges, she emphasized the necessity of the difficult journey, expressing gratitude for every moment, both the arduous and the beautiful. She concluded her post with a hopeful message, looking forward to carrying the lessons learned into the future. Her post included a montage of moments from the year, set to Coldplay’s “Fix You,” showcasing her recovery journey, her return to performing with her husband, Derek Hough, and intimate moments shared with loved ones.
The post garnered an outpouring of support from friends, family, and fans. Julianne Hough, Erbert Hough’s sister-in-law, expressed gratitude for their shared journey. Amy Purdy, Derek Hough’s former Dancing with the Stars partner, commented on the year’s mix of love, heartache, healing, and growth. Nina Dobrev also shared a message of support.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999×0:1001×2)/derek-hayley-erbert-hough-dance-holidays-122124-2c110a429ca34f0986f66d214099974d.jpg)
Erbert Hough’s reflective post comes shortly after she and Derek Hough returned to the Washington D.C. venue where her medical emergency occurred. A year prior, she was rushed to the hospital from the venue after experiencing a brain bleed. Derek Hough, in a social media post at the time, revealed that she was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma caused by a burst blood vessel and underwent an emergency craniectomy.
In a recent video, Derek Hough shared the significance of returning to the same stage, describing it as an opportunity to rewrite the narrative from one of fear and uncertainty to one of beauty and triumph. He invited Dr. Jeffrey Mai, the surgeon who saved Erbert Hough’s life, to join them on stage. Derek Hough described the experience as transforming the room from a place of fear to one of beauty, uncertainty to faith, and despair to triumph.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(618×140:620×142)/derek-hough-haley-erbert-dwts-dancing-with-the-stars-101524-5289-5cd22a772f4447c9b83c78b6ae0f1d9e.jpg)
He praised his wife’s resilience, strength, courage, and elegance in navigating the challenging experience. He expressed his continuous awe of her and concluded by emphasizing the fragility of life, the importance of love, and their newfound strength as a couple. The couple married just four months before her emergency surgery. Their return to the stage where the medical crisis unfolded serves as a powerful testament to Erbert Hough’s recovery and the couple’s resilience.
