‘There isn’t an end point so it doesn’t get easier’: Kate Garraway details the ‘frustrating’ reality of caring for husband Derek Draper in a candid post
- Kate, 55, said she has been ‘frustrated, depressed and emotional’ as she continues to care for her husband after his Covid battle
- The former political advisor, 54, is the longest suffering patient with the virus in the UK, after spending 13 months in hospital from March 2020
- Derek now receives around the clock care at the family’s London home, but was re-admitted to hospital in July
- Kate previously said: ‘2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged’
Kate Garraway has revealed she often feels ‘frustrated, depressed and emotional’ as she opened up about caring for her husband Derek Draper.
The Good Morning Britain host, 55, made the revelation on World Mental Health Day on Monday, as she paid her respects to other carers.
Derek is one of the UK’s longest-suffering patients of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020, only returning to the family’s London home in April 2021, where he receives round-the-clock care.
The TV personality said: ‘In the documentary [Caring For Derek] you saw me frustrated, depressed, emotional, and I’ve been all of those and more in recent weeks and months and more’.
‘Because that’s the thing with caring, you want it to carry on because you want the person to be surviving and still with you, so that you CAN care for them, but there isn’t an end point and it doesn’t get any easier.’
Hard work: Kate Garraway revealed she often feels ‘frustrated, depressed and emotional’ as she opened up about caring for her husband Derek Draper
Taking to Instagram, Kate shared a video as she spoke to the camera from her back garden.
She captioned the post: ‘Hello everyone – thank you for voting for our documentary ‘Caring for Derek’ – am so chuffed it’s been nominated for an #NTAAWARD this Thursday’.
‘We made the film to highlight the challenges and rewards of being a carer, but since then things haven’t got any easier either for Derek and I, nor for the millions of other carers right across the UK’.
‘@carersfirst have done some research & the economic crisis has left many feeling suicidal , hundreds of thousands with mental health issues & more than 93 percent say they can’t sleep because they are so terrified about the future’.
‘On #worldmentalhealthday I have been thinking about what so many are going through. If you haven’t seen #caringforderek it is still on the @itv hub.
‘And if you feel moved to vote, then the link is in my bio – carers and anyone with a long term illness would feel so grateful not to be forgotten’.
Tough: Derek is one of the UK’s longest-suffering patients of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020, only returning home in April 2021, where he receives round-the-clock care (pictured together earlier this year)
Candid: The Good Morning Britain host made the revelation on World Mental Health day, saying she desperately wants the father of her two children to survive
Honesty: She captioned the post: ‘Hello everyone – thank you for voting for our documentary ‘Caring for Derek’ – am so chuffed it’s been nominated for an #NTAAWARD this Thursday’
It comes after Kate reflected on Derek’s recovery from Covid on ITV’s DNA Journey last week.
The television personality appeared on the show with fellow presenter Alison Hammond to retrace her ancestry, but began by telling how Derek ‘remains very damaged’ as she spoke about her current family situation.
Speaking on the show Kate said: ‘2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged.
‘That is quite well documented because for a lot of people, he’s come to symbolise the fight that goes on.’
Kate also praised Alison – who she appeared on the show alongside – for being such a support to her during the difficult times with Derek.
Tough: It comes after Kate reflected on Derek’s recovery from Covid on ITV ‘s DNA Journey
‘Alison, she was messaging me to say she was thinking of me in that way,’ Kate explained.
Kate shares her two children – William, 13, and Darcey, 16 – with her husband and juggles raising her kids with looking after Derek and hosting Good Morning Britain.
The broadcaster revealed in July that Derek was back in hospital, however he has since returned home.
He was released from hospital last year but still requires round the clock care and daily medication amid his ongoing battle with long Covid.
Kate previously admitted that if left unaided for over three days, Derek could die. He is bed-stricken, with Kate doing much of the caring herself.
In August, the presenter told how she is spending ‘pretty much all my time in hospital’ as she shared a brief update on husband Derek.
The TV presenter’s partner was rushed to hospital with ‘life-threatening sepsis’ in July during his ongoing recovery from Covid.
She said: ‘I got a phone call from the person who was looking after him saying, “Right, we’re really worried”. I whizzed home and it just sort of went boom from there.
‘We called an ambulance, went to A and E, where they said he had very severe sepsis, life-threatening sepsis. So it was really dramatic.
‘Unfortunately, his kidneys were really badly infected, blocked. The challenge now is to save them. So that’s where we’ve been for the last three weeks.’
Recovery: Speaking on the show Kate said: ‘2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged’
The presenter took a leave of absence from GMB order to be by her ailing husband’s side following his hospitalisation.
Addressing the issue for the first time she wrote in an Instagram post: ‘Thank you so so much for all your messages of support – they really do mean the world to me & the whole family.
‘I have taken some time off @gmb @smoothradio & in the last 3 weeks as Derek’s health took an unexpected & frightening turn for the worse that landed him back in intensive care & fighting for his life – again.’
She added: ‘Thanks to the amazing nhs teams & his own extraordinary life force & spirit Derek – please god – is back on the right side of it now and Im so looking forward to seeing you all back on @gmb’.
Kate previously admitted she was taking things ‘day by day’ after Derek was re-admitted to hospital, telling The Sun: ‘He’s been in hospital a couple of months now. He’s been coming in and out.
‘Hopefully he’ll come out again. Hopefully tonight. I’m crossing my fingers. I’m really tired but I take it day by day to level out the ups and downs.’
A timeline of Derek Draper’s coronavirus battle
MARCH 2020
Kate revealed she and Prince Charles had got ‘relatively close’ at the Prince’s Trust Awards on March 11 – Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus in mid-March.
She said: ‘Around the 29/30 March, I came home came in and said [to Derek] ‘god you look ill.’
‘He said he had a headache, numbness in his right hand, and was struggling to breathe,
‘I rang Dr Hilary (Jones) and tried to get through, he talked to Derek. He said put me back on, I think you need to call an ambulance’
Derek, 52, was taken into hospital on March 30 and remained in an unresponsive condition.
APRIL
Kate and her children isolated at home after she displayed ‘mild symptoms’.
Kate said: ‘Derek remains in intensive care and is still very ill. I’m afraid it remains an excruciatingly worrying time.
‘I’m afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope.’
MAY
Kate said: ‘The journey for me and my family seems to be far from over as every day my heart sinks as I learn new and devastating ways this virus has more battles for Derek to fight.
‘But he is still HERE & so there is still hope.’
That month, Kate and her family took part in the final clap for carers
She said: ‘I’ll never give up on that because Derek’s the love of my life but at the same time I have absolute uncertainty’
JUNE
On June 5, Kate revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but continues to fight against the damage inflicted on his body
JULY
On July 5, Kate revealed Derek has woken from his coma but he remains in a serious yet critical condition.
On July 8, she announced she would be returning to GMB, after being urged by doctors to ‘get on with life’ during Derek’s recovery.
She added that Derek had ‘opened his eyes’ after waking from his coma, but has been told his recovery could take years.
On July 13, Kate returned to GMB for the first time since Derek was hospitalised.
On July 28, Kate revealed she’d paid an ‘extra emotional’ first visit to Derek, and admitted she’s ‘frustrated’ by his slow progress.
AUGUST
On August 14, Kate reassured GMB viewers that Derek was ‘still with us,’ but it was ‘a waiting game.’
On August 19, Kate revealed she celebrated Derek’s birthday with their two children, and described the day as ‘challenging’ for her family.
SEPTEMBER
At the end of September, Derek reportedly becomes the longest surviving patient with coronavirus after spending 184 days in and out of intensive care.
Kate reveals Derek has lost eight stone during his battle.
The presenter announces she is returning to her Smooth Radio show so Derek can hear her voice.
OCTOBER
On October 30 Kate reveals that Derek has spoken for the first time in seven months, saying the word ‘pain’ to his wife, who watched on ‘in tears’ over FaceTime.
Kate says a day later that her husband no longer needs a ventilator to breathe.
NOVEMBER
Kate reveals her family car has been stolen in latest ‘body blow’ to her family life, as kind-hearted fans offer their cars to help.
She says she feels ‘physically sick’ at the prospect of facing her first Christmas without Derek.
DECEMBER
The GMB star tells viewers it is her dream to visit Derek on Christmas Day.
She also reveals she missed two weeks on GMB after her children were exposed to the virus, but thankfully she and the kids tested negative.
On December 17, Kate has an emotional conversation live on GMB with two nurses who treated Derek when he was first admitted to Whittington Hospital in North London.
On New Year’s Eve she reflects on a ‘calamitous’ Christmas without Derek, as her house was flooded and she struggled to get a food delivery slot until her pal Emma Willis stepped in to help.
JANUARY 2021
Kate reveals she and her children got to visit Derek in hospital over the Christmas period, and it was the first time her family had seen him since he was hospitalised.
She also says she’s banned from seeing him due to new restrictions introduced during the government’s third lockdown.
FEBRUARY
Kate reveals she is unsure how much Derek will ‘ever be able to recover’ following warning from doctors that he may never wake from his coma
MARCH
Kate revealed that was in the process of adapting her home to suit Derek’s needs when he is finally released from hospital, in the ITV documentary Finding Derek.
The programmed was praised by viewers for offering a heartbreaking look at the long-term effects of coronavirus.
Kate also revealed that Derek has ‘no muscle left’ since battling Covid
APRIL
Kate revealed that Derek was finally allowed to leave hospital, but would require round-the-clock care once he was returned home.
MAY
Kate revealed that despite now being home with his family, his communication abilities were ‘minimal’ and he ‘couldn’t really move’
DECEMBER
During an appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Kate revealed that Derek had said ‘I love you’ for the first time.
After celebrating Christmas, Derek was also pictured in a wheelchair during a trip to the pantomime with his family
JANUARY 2022
Kate revealed that Derek was ‘very fatigued’ and ‘very weak’ following the family outing, adding: ‘I don’t know what this year is going to bring.’
FEBRUARY
Kate offered a glimpse into the daily struggles of looking after her husband amid his battle with long Covid in the documentary Caring For Derek
She also revealed that Derek would die within three days if he was left alone to care for himself.
JULY
On July 6, Kate revealed that Derek had been re-admitted to hospital after suffering a ‘downturn,’ and in a later interview said she takes things ‘day by day.’
On July 20, it was reported that Kate had pulled out of hosting Good Morning Britain to be at Derek’s bedside after he took a ‘very serious’ turn for the worse.
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