‘Hold your loved ones close’: Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert celebrate Christmas following Erbert’s ‘emergency craniectomy’
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“Dancing With The Stars” judge and Utah native Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, enjoyed Christmas with renewed gratitude as Erbert continues to recover from emergency surgeries following a cranial hematoma diagnosis.
“Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! 🎄Cherishing the greatest gift of all. The precious gift of life and the love we share,” the couple shared in a post that shows them embracing in front of a Christmas tree. “Hold your loved ones close and treasure every moment.”
The Christmas post comes just a few days after Hough shared that Erbert’s cranioplasty surgery — which included having a skull implant inserted to replace what was removed during her initial emergency surgery — was a success. The surgery, Hough said in an earlier post, would “restore the skull to its natural shape and protect the brain from injury.”
“This surgery marks a significant milestone in my wife’s recovery journey, and your support has played a crucial role in getting us here,” Hough said in a recent post that thanked the “expert medical team” tending to Erbert. “We are filled with hope and optimism for the future, knowing she is on the path to a full recovery, surrounded by such a loving community.”
What happened to Hayley Erbert?
Erbert was rushed to the hospital and underwent an emergency surgery following a performance on the couple’s dance tour on Dec. 6.
“At the end of last night’s tour performance in Washington, D.C., my wife Hayley became disoriented and was taken to the hospital,” Hough told fans in an Instagram post. “She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, an intracranial hematoma “is a collection of blood within the skull” that is typically caused by a blood vessel bursting in the brain. It can also be caused by trauma from a car accident or fall.
Hough added that Erbert was “in stable condition” and thanked the first responders and medical personnel who are continuing to take care of his wife.
“I ask for your prayers and positivity during this time,” he said.
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What’s the latest on Hayley Erbert?
Hough has regularly updated fans on his wife’s progress. In one Instagram post, he said Erbert’s “recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle.”
In that update, Hough shared a video that shows the couple walking with their arms linked down a path by the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. Their backs are to the camera and Erbert appears to be wearing protective gear for her head.
“While this isn’t the holiday season either of us envisioned, it’s one that we’re incredibly grateful to have,” he wrote. “We look forward to cherishing these moments with a deeper appreciation for life and the people in it.”
Hough expressed gratitude for medical personnel who have taken care of Erbert, and for fans who have offered encouraging messages and prayers during this time.
“It’s been a profound reminder of how fragile life can be and how quickly things can change. But, it has also shown us the incredible strength and resilience that lies within us and the power of having a supportive community around us,” he wrote.
Will Derek Hough still be on tour?
Hough’s Symphony of Dance tour, which came through Utah in October, was scheduled to go through Dec. 30. The remainder of the tour has been postponed.
The following message appears on the main page for Hough’s website:
We regret to inform you that Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance will be postponed. At the end of the Dec. 6th tour performance in Washington, D.C., Derek’s wife Hayley became disoriented and was taken to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy. She is in stable condition. Derek has asked for prayers and positivity during this time.
Please keep your tickets to Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance, as they will be honored for the new date once scheduled. For questions and concerns regarding ticketing, please contact your original point of purchase for a refund. We post updated information as we have a date for the rescheduled performances.
Thank you for supporting the Derek Hough: Symphony of Dance tour, and we look forward to welcoming you at the rescheduled performance.
How did Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert meet?
Erbert’s health scare comes a few months into the Symphony of Dance tour, which kicked off in the fall. The 29-year-old professional dancer married Hough, 38, this year after several years of dating, per People.
Hough and his sister, “Dancing With the Stars” host Julianne Hough, hired Erbert to go on tour with them in 2014. Hough and Erbert began dating in 2015, when they both appeared on “Dancing With the Stars,” People reported.
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The pair married in August, and a month later, embarked on their Symphony of Dance tour. The show includes a choreographed version of the couple’s wedding dance to “Fall into Me,” by Forest Blakk.
“Every time we rehearse it, I cry,” Hough previously told USA Today ahead of the tour. “If we get over-frazzled, we take a moment where we just look into each other’s eyes and say, ‘I love you.’ When I hear those words, it’s like juice; I feel unstoppable.”
