Derek Hough's Wife Hayley Erbert Reflects on Health Emergency As She Celebrates End of Dance Tour

On Thursday, the professional dancer took to Instagram to mark the end of the tour, and celebrate the massive achievement in the wake of her "wild" health journey, which included multiple surgeries and a traumatic brain injury.

"The Symphony of Dance tour has only been over for a few days and I still haven’t quite found the words to express my emotions," Erbert began in a caption of her post, which featured a series of photos of herself performing on tour. "This tour was truly one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life."

"When we kicked it off in September, I was on cloud nine; getting to travel and perform with my newlywed husband, doing the most challenging show I have ever done in my entire life," continued Erbert, who married Hough in August 2023. "Then December 6th rolled around, and everything came to a screeching halt."

The 29-year-old was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma, which required an emergency craniectomy. That was then followed by another surgery, cranioplasty, to repair her skull.

"When there were talks of resuming the tour a few months later, there was so much uncertainty around it for me," Erbert continued in her post. "But I DID IT! This tour reignited many parts of me that have been dim for so long."

"So, for that, I cannot thank everyone who came out to support us on this wild journey enough," she concluded. "I am so grateful to still be here, with you all, doing what I love. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🫶🏼."

On December 7, Hough announced on Instagram that Erbert had been hospitalized and rushed into emergency surgery. He revealed Erbert was being treated for a cranial hematoma, which occurs when blood collects in the skull, after experiencing symptoms while they were on their dance tour.

A little over a week later, the Dancing with the Stars judge shared an update on Instagram, revealing that Erbert would need skull implant surgery.

Hough continued to share updates, before Erbert spoke out for the first time following her hospitalization in February, telling fans in an Instagram video that she has a "new outlook" on life since suffering the medical emergency.

"It's been quite some time since we've been on here, for good reason," Hough began in the clip, before his wife, who showed off her shaved head and surgery scar, spoke about her procedures. "Here I am today. It has been quite the journey. There's been so much that has happened in two months. Lots of emotions. All the things," she said.

"To this day, I still have really good days and really bad days. Emotionally and physically. But I'm doing so much better every single day. Like, truly, there is so much progress every day. I'm so grateful for that," she shared.

Hough said that while the two have gone through "the highest of highs to the lowest of lows," his wife has been nothing short of "unbelievable" through it all.

Erbert then told fans just how much their words of support have meant throughout her surgeries and recovery -- recalling how Hough told her just how many people were thinking of her after they opened up about her condition.

"I remember just looking at him and just saying, 'You didn't even have to tell me that, I can feel it,'" she shared. "I genuinely felt that through my body. I felt it in my heart. I felt it in my soul. So thank you all so much for your messages, your love, your life, your prayers."

Those well-wishes, she said, helped her work through her ongoing recovery "faster" than anticipated. "It's helped me heal, it's helped me stay positive throughout the entire experience," she added.