A Good Morning Britain presenter has shared an update on her husband after he fell into a coma for months after catching the coronavirus in 2020. Broadcaster Kate Garraway has explained her husband, Derek Draper, is home with his family but recquires round-the-clock care.
The former political advisor spent 13 months in hospital, and became the longest-suffering coronavirus patient in the UK. Three years after her Derek first faced life-changing challenges, Kate has revealed that her husband is 'very damaged' but is still making progress every day at home with their children, Darcey, 16 and Billy, 13.
The couple have been married for 13 years, and Kate has remained at his side every step of the way. Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on her podcast, Journey To Magic, Kate shared some insight into her family life, reports The Daily Mirror.
Speaking of her family, Kate stated: "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 his struggles. She said: "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." The presenter has documented her journey with Derek in a documentary and her own book, in which she shares how the family have adapted their lives since Derek contracted Covid in March 2020.
Kate, who has been widely praised for her resilience, and 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."
To cater for Derek's needs, Kate has spent tens of thousands of pounds adapting the family’s London home and remains an inspiration for other families who find themselves caring for loved ones who have been affected by Covid.
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