Derek Draper has died after a long battle with Covid-19.
The former politician passed away surrounded by his family aged 56 as a devastated Kate Garraway announced the news on Instagram. The former politician first fell ill in March 2020 when he contracted Covid-19 in the early stages of the pandemic.
He was admitted to hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma. Despite eventually returning home, Covid had a long-lasting effect on Derek’s body.
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He was left with permanent damage to his organs as well as several other health problems including kidney failure and inflammation of the brain. Over the next three years, Derek embarked on a lengthy battle with the virus which eventually led to his sad death.
Hospital dash
(Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
In March 2020, Derek was rushed to hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. In critical condition, he was placed in intensive care. In April, Derek was placed on a ventilator and put in an induced coma to help his system battle against the impacts of Covid.
Kate and her children, Darcy and Billy, were unable to visit him due to the strict rules in place at the time. She recalled: “They rang me up and said we’re going to be put in a coma, and he just said to me ‘I love you, I am sorry I have to leave you’, and I said ‘It’s only for three or four days and you’re going to find this is good, this is good. This is what you wanted, to rest’.”
Derek wakes up
In June, the TV presenter said that Derek had fought off Covid-19 but it had “wreaked extraordinary havoc” on his body. In July 2020, Derek woke up from his coma. Following the news, Kate returned to Good Morning Britain after a four-month break.
When Kate eventually was able to see her husband after restrictions were eased, she revealed it was a complete “shock” to see him. In September 2020, the 56-year-old revealed that his first word after regaining consciousness was “pain”.
After spending 214 days hospitalised, Derek was able to breath without a ventilator. Derek would spend a further seven months in hospital before he would be discharged.
Finding Derek
(Image: ITV)
In March 2021, ITV broadcast Finding Derek, a documentary exploring Derek’s illness and its effect on his family’s life. It followed the mother-of-two as she shared the devastating time she and her family had experienced following Derek’s battle.
It also showed Derek in the heartbreaking moment he woke up from his coma. Weeks after the documentary was released, Derek returned home. Kate confirmed the news on Good Morning Britain, explaining that Derek would need round-the-clock care as his speech was “very minimal” and his physical mobility was limited.
Derek returns home
(Image: ITV)
When Derek returned home after one year in hospital in April 2021, he received 24-hour care at his family property which Kate adapted to make more accessible. By October 2021, Derek was sleeping around 20 hours a day and was unable to communicate properly.
This continued into 2022. In January, Kate revealed that Derek was “phenomenally fatigued and very weak” after struggling to recover from his first trip out of the house to the pantomime.
Ground-breaking trial
(Image: ITV)
The next month, Kate Garraway revealed her Derek could die within three days if he was left without expert care. In February, the TV star revealed that she accompanied Derek to Mexico for a ground-breaking medical trial a few months prior.
A world-renowned US doctor contacted Kate after learning about Derek’s health battle, and he underwent treatment at a specialist clinic in Monterrey. In June, Kate confirmed that that Derek was in and out of hospital, leaving her “exhausted and very fretful.”
Life-threatening sepsis
(Image: ITV)
A few months later, Derek’s health took another turn. He was rushed into intensive care after contracting “life-threatening” sepsis. At the time, Kate said that doctors were working to find the source of infection and the right antibiotics to treat it.
Kate added: “Unfortunately his kidneys were really badly infected, blocked, and the challenge now is to save them.” In April 2023, Kate revealed that Derek was once again receiving care in hospital. At the time, it was reported that Kate was planning a trip across the world for treatment in a “final hope” to help her husband.
Choking condition
(Image: ITV)
ln June 2023, Kate was presented with an MBE for her dedication to journalism and broadcast in July. Derek watched the ceremony and could be seen smiling in his wheelchair, looking healthier. In September, Kate revealed that Derek had developed a frightening new condition that has caused him to choke and “turn blue”.
She explained Derek’s choking condition, highlighting that he is unable to effectively inhale oxygen or expel carbon dioxide. Kate explained: “[It’s] slightly poisoning his body all the time. He urgently needs respiratory rehab.”
Discussing a terrifying ordeal due to his choking issue, Kate went on: “It happened again just last weekend. For absolutely no reason he just went blue.” She watched on in fear alongside her son as Derek’s caregivers hurried to rescue him.
Tragic death
(Image: Getty Images)
In early December, Kate revealed Derek fell critically ill following a cardiac arrest. As he fought for his life once again, Derek spent Christmas in hospital with his wife by his side. On January 5 2024, Kate confirmed Derek had passed away with his family by his side.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
