Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert's moving 'DWTS' comeback after her near-death experience makes fans teary

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert returned to the dance floor on Tuesday, October 15, episode of 'Dancing with the Stars' after her emergency craniectomy in December 2023.

The married couple celebrated Hayley's return to the dance floor with an emotional routine to 'Beautiful Things' by Benson Boone which led to people getting emotional and ending up with teary eyes.

Derek Hough explains 'pure fear' he faced during Hayley's near-death experience

Before their performance, Derek Hough said that just three months after they got married in August 2023, their lives "came to a screeching halt in the most devastating way" while they were on their joint Symphony of Dance tour, reported Variety.

He said, "I was on stage, and she’s supposed to come out. The stage manager walked out and just said, 'Hey, she’s not coming on stage.' She was on the side of the stage having full seizures and, essentially, dying. It’s really hard to even put into words other than just pure fear."

She was then rushed into the hospital for an emergency cranial hematoma. He added, "The doctor came to me and he said that ‘She has a severe brain bleed, so we have to operate right now.'"

He further said, "He said that she might not make it and that even if she does make it, she won’t be the same person. They told me, you basically lost the person that you knew… I just remember laying on the hospital floor just begging. I was like, please don’t go."

Derek Hough says wife Hayley Erbert was 'unrecognizable' after severe brain bleed

Derek Hough also said that his wife Hayley was "unrecognizable" the next morning and was missing 40% of her skull. But, he added that she remembered that they were dancing before she was taken to the hospital.

Derek also shared that the couple was able to dance on stage in front of doctors and nurses in Washington, DC, after her recovery. He said, "Afterward, the doctors came up to us and said, 'Hey Derek, this is a miracle'. And I said, 'Yeah it is'. He said, 'No Derek, this is a miracle.'"

He went on to add, "He really felt the weight of just how remarkable this woman is and her determination and her spirit. You inspire me so much. She’s incredible."

'DWTS' fans get emotional as Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert return to dance floor

Many 'DWTS' fans on the internet got emotional after Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert returned to the dance floor after her emergency craniectomy in December 2023.

A user wrote on X, "So many tears during the introduction and such a beautiful dance! It is a miracle @derekhough and @hayleyerbert Such a special dance, so grateful for Hayley's recovery," while another added, "Derek loved Hayley so much my heart aches for their story #DWTS."

A person stated, "The way derek held hayley at the end.......i'm actually never going to recover #dwts," whereas another mentioned, "Derek and Hayley dedication dance you will always be famous. Hayley has not missed a beat that was so raw and STUNNING #dwts."

One person said, "God is so good!! That dance was simply beautiful! Derek and his wife Hayley. Got a thug crying. #DWTS," while another commented, "I have not cried this hard over #DWTS since the Len Goodman tribute. Derek’s dance with Haley after she recovered from emergency brain surgery last year was so emotional and beautiful."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.