HOLLYWOOD — Everyone loves a good comeback story, and Hayley Erbert Hough’s is a tearjerker.
The ballroom dancer married Utah native, “Dancing with the Stars” judge and fellow pro dancer Derek Hough in August 2023. During a December performance on the “Symphony of Dance” tour, Hayley Hough experienced a medical emergency.
She was rushed to the hospital, still in her dance costume, and had to have an emergency craniectomy, Derek Hough explained during a montage on Tuesday’s “Dancing with the Stars” episode. A post from Derek Hough’s social media said she was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel.
The diagnosis was grim and doctors said she might not be the same person if she recovered and would likely never dance again.
Miraculously, Hayley Hough recovered. Slowly, she relearned how to walk and Tuesday night, only 10 months after her first surgery, she made a triumphant return to the ballroom in a dance with her husband.
Tuesday’s episode was “Dedication Night,” in which each star performed a dance that they dedicated to someone special in their life. The episode included a special performance from the Houghs, who danced a moving contemporary piece to an acoustic version of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.”
Through stunning lifts, turns and embraces, the two dancers expressed their love and told the story of her resilience in recovery.
Dance is a powerful medium for telling stories and expressing emotion, and the Houghs delivered with this dance. After performing, Derek Hough explained that doctors told them it was a miracle his wife had recovered enough to be able to dance.
Hayley Hough told People it was “extremely special to be out here” on the dance floor again.
Just a warning, you may cry watching this.
