Kate Garraway has opened up on the heartbreaking reality of her husband Derek Draper's health battle, admitting that he is "very damaged" after falling into a coma for months on end after contracting Covid back in 2020.
The former political advisor spent 13 gruelling months in hospital before he could return to his family home with Kate, 55, and their two children Darcey, 16 and Billy, 13. The pair have been married for 13 years.
And now Derek heartbreakingly needs round-the-clock care, with devoted wife Kate ensuring she is with her husband every step as he continues to battle the effects of the disease.
Three years after her husband first faced life-changing challenges amid his Covid battle, Kate has revealed that her husband is "very damaged" but is still making progress every day despite being the longest-suffering Covid case in the UK, according to reports in The Mirror.
Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on her podcast, Journey To Magic, the broadcaster shared some insight into her family life with Derek, and their children Darcey and Billy.
Of her family, Kate revealed: "They’re OK, they're good. It is challenging, he's still very, very damaged. He still can't really move, still can't really speak, still fed through tubes, and so there's a long road ahead.
“But if you compare to last Christmas or the Christmas before, when he was still in hospital then you can see improvement.
"It's just, you just want it to be quicker and faster, of course, like everybody would. But it's a challenging one - he spent most of last year in the hospital as well for various different things, so it was lovely to have him home."
Kate recently revealed that most of the time, Derek "can't do anything" as she shared a heartbreaking update on the struggles the family are facing.
"There are some days where he literally cannot do anything and it’s like the computer is switched off. He cannot move, and he’s in so much pain as we are manipulating him, trying to get him more mobile so that he doesn’t regress," she shared.
It comes as we previously reported how the ITV presenter has documented her journey with Derek along the way in an award-winning documentary and her own book where she shared how the family have come together and adapted their way of life.
However, Kate, who has been widely praised for her resilience, told The Sun: "It also makes me fall in love with him all over again because of that spirit, that determination to keep going. Derek is trapped, but he fights on. We cling on to the good days."
Bafta-nominated Kate has spent tens of thousands of pounds adapting the family’s London home to cater for Derek's needs.
The Good Morning Britain star has been there for Derek every step of the way and has been a huge inspiration and source of support for other families who find themselves caring for loved ones.
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