The family of Kate Garraway are said to be “trying to stay strong” after spending Christmas at her husband Derek Draper’s bedside.
Good Morning Britain presenter Kate has spent the last three-and-a-half years supporting Derek since he contracted Covid-19 in March 2020. Former political lobbyist Derek was placed into an induced coma and spent over a year in hospital as the effects of the virus took their toll on his body.
The 56-year old was also left with permanent damage to his organs as well as several other health problems including kidney failure and inflammation of the brain as his battle continues. Now, Kate has spent the last three weeks in hospital with her spouse after he suffered another major setback – a heart attack.
READ MORE: GMB fans concerned as show fails to mention Kate Garraway’s gravely ill husband Derek
READ MORE: Kate Garraway ‘heartbroken’ over ‘devastating’ news about gravely-ill husband Derek
Mother-of-two Kate has since taken an indefinite leave of absence from her ITV duties, as well as from her show on Smooth Radio.
(Image: ITV)
A source explained to the Sun: It’s been a heartbreaking time for Kate and, of course, poor Derek. Sadly, his condition remains much the same. The children are aware of the situation and have been by their dad’s bedside as much as possible.
“”The whole family is rallying around and trying to stay strong for one another. At Christmas time, this is especially devastating.”
(Image: INTERNET)
Since the latest news broke about Derek, who is Britain’s longest suffering coronavirus victim, Kate has been inundated with love and support from fans online. Hundreds of well-wishers have reached out to the star on social media, giving the pair their love, thoughts and prayers as Kate does what she can to look after her husband.
One fan paid tribute to the pair, writing: “My mother and I send our best wishes to you and your family, our thoughts are with you in the awful time you are going through. We hope you have the best possible Christmas and new year.”
A second user also wished Kate and Derek well, commenting: “This is so sad for the Garraway family. Derek’s body has been ravaged and we are just hoping he can get through this.”
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(Image: ITV)
In the first of her two heartbreaking television documentaries, Finding Derek, Kate showcased some of the drastic changes she has made to her family’s North London property to cater for Derek’s needs. One of the first changes made to their home was the installation of a wheelchair lift, which completely transformed how the doting dad accesses the house.
Another essential addition came in the form of a large open-planned wet room, giving Derek the privacy of – and access to – a spacious bathroom for him to use with the help of his round-the-clock care.
(Image: James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
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Kind Kate also transformed the ground floor lounge into his new bedroom, and fitted it with a top-of-the-range hospital bed for him after the virus caused permanent damage to his muscles.
During the show, Kate explained: “At the moment, what we’re doing, we’ve got an occupational therapist that deals with the layout of the home, looking at putting in a wet room – basically, ground floor living. He’ll either be on a stretcher or a wheelchair. And also, they’re trying to figure out how to put a lift in the garden.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
