By Mallory Mattingly
After a health scare two years ago, dancer Hayley Erbert couldn’t be more grateful for upcoming birth of her first child.
“Two years ago today, I was given a second chance at life through life-saving brain surgery,” Erbert, wife of DANCING WITH THE STARS’ Derek Hough, wrote in a post on Instagram. “In these two years, I’ve gone through every human emotion imaginable, the kind that cracks you open and the kind that puts you back together. I’ve reclaimed parts of myself I thought I’d never find again, rediscovered who I am, and moved through seasons of loss, triumph, joy, endless fear, grief, healing, and quiet hope.”
In December 2023, she was diagnosed with a “cranial hematoma and underwent an emergency craniectomy,” PEOPLE reported.
Related: Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert Dance Into Parenthood: First Baby on the Way!
“It was a whirlwind to say the least…But I’m truly grateful for it all, and so incredibly proud of myself and my body for everything it has endured. What a miracle it is that two years ago I was fighting for my life…and now, here I am creating life,” the dancer added.
Erbert and Hough announced the new addition to their family in July.
“Already so loved ❤️” they wrote in a joint Instagram post.
In the time since nearly losing her life, Erbert has also returned to dancing, and the couple performed together in Washington D.C. on the one-year anniversary of her surgery.
“But tonight, we changed the story of that room. We transformed it, from fear to beauty, from uncertainty to faith, and from despair to triumph,” Hough shared in December 2024. “And having Dr. Mai, the man who saved her life, standing on that stage with us made it all the more powerful. We got to share a moment on stage thanking him for the gift of more time, more memories, and more love.”
“This year has taught us so much about grace, how the more we acknowledge it, the more we experience it. Beauty is all around us if we open our eyes to it, and faith can guide us even in the darkest moments,” he continued. “I’m so grateful to Hayley, she has blown me away with her resilience, strength courage and pure elegance in how she has moved through this experience. I am in awe everyday. To the team at MedStar Washington Hospital for their care, and to all of you who’ve supported us along the way.”
It’s incredible to see how far Erbert has come in the last two years!
Read Next: Derek Hough, Hayley Erbert Update Fans After Health Scare: ‘Life is So Precious’
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