Derek Hough‘s wife, Hayley Erbert Hough, made a remarkable and inspirational comeback on the very stage where she faced a life-threatening incident. This powerful return is a testament to her resilience and dedication to her craft.

For over a month, the talented Dancing With the Stars troupe member has been performing alongside her husband on his Dance for the Holidays Tour. On November 24, she and Derek took to the stage at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. This was the same venue where, during a performance in 2023, she suffered a serious cranial hematoma, an incident that required her to undergo urgent skull surgery to save her life.

“Tonight is exceptionally special as we return to this stage a year later,” Derek expressed, standing proudly beside Hayley and several other dancers. This heartfelt moment was captured in a video shared on their Instagram pages on December 6. “We are here to transform the narrative of this space into something beautiful and uplifting.”

Hayley, 30, had been performing with Derek, 39, during one of his Symphony of Dance tour shows at the same venue on December 6, 2023, when she suddenly became disoriented. She was swiftly taken to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with a cranial hematoma caused by a burst blood vessel, a serious condition that required immediate medical attention.

In a critical procedure known as an emergency craniectomy, surgeons removed a portion of her skull to alleviate pressure on her brain. This was followed by another surgery to install an implant, allowing her to continue her passion for dance while recovering from such a traumatic experience.