In an interview on Thursday, March 16, "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy said he was so scared when he had to rush his newborn son to the emergency room. Shai was just a few weeks old when he had a high fever. Maks told ABC News that he and his fiancée, Peta Murgatroyd, have already gone through a lot with their son who was born on January 4.

Hospital experience

The 37-year-old father said he was really scared to see his newborn so sick. He admits that he and Peta, 30, were not prepared for what they experienced in the emergency room.

He said it was a shock because he didn't know in advance what happens to infants that small when they get sick. He freaked out when he saw a little IV hooked up to his son. Maks said he and Peta have become more diligent when it comes to caring for their baby.

Both parents on 'Dancing with the Stars'

Both Maks and Peta are rehearsing for Season 24 of "Dancing With The Stars" that premieres on Monday, March 20. They are excited about returning to the ballroom, but they are not excited about being away from their new baby. This will be the first time in a long time since both Maks and Peta have competed against each other.

There is already talk about Maks and his partner, Heather Morris, who has had dance experience on "Glee." Besides, she was one of Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" dancers.

Some fans say Heather has an unfair advantage, but she contends that her previous dance experience was quite different from ballroom dancing.

Peta is partnered with Nick Viall, 36, whose season just ended on "The Bachelor." When he and his fiancée Vanessa Grimaldi, 29, appeared together on "After the Final Rose" on Monday night they didn't act like they were happily engaged.

They were vague about their future. This leads viewers to suspect that they won't be together very long. One reason is because Vanessa is a special education teacher in Montreal, and it seems that she prefers not moving to the United States.

Vanessa showed up at the rehearsal with Nick and Peta. She seemed to have enjoyed the session because she got to meet Peta's son.
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