Just over a week after announcing that his wife Hayley Erbert, 29, had an emergency craniectomy, Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough shared a first video of her taking a walk. In the clip, which showed them lovingly walking in Washington, D.C., Hayley wore a protective helmet and a pair of sweatpants with a sherpa coat, and pulled her long brunette locks into a simple ponytail. Her husband, wearing a black puffer coat and matching pants, anchored her with his arm as they walked in the chilly but sunshiny weather. In the foreground stood the Washington monument.
“As you all know, the past week has been a challenging journey for us due to a life-threatening event that suddenly came into our lives,” the dancer captioned the video. “It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant. But today, we are filled with hope and relief as we share with you an update. Hayley is doing well.”
Derek went on to call his wife’s progress following her surgery due to a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel, a “miracle.” “Her recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle,” he continued. “She still has a ways to go with another surgery, hopefully in a few weeks, to insert a skull implant to replace the piece that was removed during the craniectomy. It will restore the skull to its natural shape and protect the brain from injury.”
He also expressed gratitude for Hayley’s medical care and a supportive community. “While this isn’t the holiday season either of us envisioned, it’s one that we’re incredibly grateful to have. We look forward to cherishing these moments with a deeper appreciation for life and the people in it,” he concluded the update.
Hayley, whom Derek married in a gorgeous California forest ceremony in August, was rushed to a D.C. hospital after she became “disoriented” following a performance there, where they’d been on tour. “She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy,” he explained in part in a December 7 Instagram post.
On December 8, he again took to Instagram with an update for fans. “Hayley has always inspired me with her will, her strength, and her resilience and no more so than in the last 48 hrs,” he wrote last Friday, in part. “She is now on the long road of recovery.”