Kate Garraway said that her husband Derek Draper is ‘still ravaged by effects of Coronavirus.
Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway is releasing a book, The Power of Hope, about her and her husband Derek Draper’s coronavirus journey
Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway choked up on the show on Thursday, as she shared upsetting personal news that the mother-in-law of a close friend had sadly died from coronavirus.
She confessed she couldn’t believe that almost a year on, the cases and death numbers were still soaring – after her husband Derek Draper was struck down with Covid-19 in March.
Derek still remains in hospital, after suffering major complications and effects from the virus.
Kate told hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that her husband was still “ravaged” by what the virus had done to his body, with her previously sharing that it had affected everything.
She has been left “physically low” after her first Christmas without him at home, understandably finding it hard especially with the Tier 4 and now lockdown restrictions.
Opening up on her recent struggles, she revealed she had to “regroup” – while she has been writing a book in the hope of helping others in her position.
The Power of Hope is all about Derek’s battle, and her and the kids’ ordeal, detailing life since he caught the virus and was left in a coma.
She hopes he will recover, but said recovery was “incredibly uncertain” – with Piers reminding his friend that “she hasn’t lost him” and “miracles do happen”.
“I’ve been a bit low since Christmas, physically low. Physically at the end of my tether and I have had to regroup a bit.
“This week a friend of mine’s mother-in-law who was younger than me died from Covid. She got it at Christmas and it went down very quickly and she died.”
Kate became emotional as she shared the news, before she told her co-stars how she couldn’t believe the figures given how much time had passed since March.
She went on: “Derek is still ravaged by the effects of having Covid way back in March, and his recovery is incredibly uncertain.
“I’m trying to look for new things and ways, and I’m talking to doctors about what we can do for him.”
Kate then brought up how the groups of people dying and left ill from the virus had changed, including a huge number who haven’t had any underlying health conditions, and are not older.
As Susanna told her she was an inspiration, Kate replied: “I don’t think I am, but if I can tell my story and the story of some people who have helped me then maybe that will be helpful.”
Kate also said she was trying to “shift away from the unfairness” and look for positives with Derek and everything going on.
She has the attitude of “why not Derek” in terms of why can’t he be someone who recovers and survives his battle, keeping hope.
Kate explained: “They said the chances of Derek’s survival was next to nothing and that he’d probably die, but I thought some people are surviving so why not Derek.”