Kate Garraway has given a heartbreaking update on her husband Derek Draper’s ongoing battle with Covid-19.
The Good Morning Britain star’s husband remains in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in March 2020, and speaking on Thursday’s GMB, Kate admitted she has struggled to stay positive over the past few weeks.
Kate spoke to her co-stars Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid about her upcoming book which will detail the last year of her family’s life, telling her friends that she’s been feeling ‘physically low and at the end of my tether’ since Christmas.
‘Struggling’: Kate Garraway has given a heartbreaking update on her husband Derek Draper’s ongoing battle with Covid-19
‘It’s been a strange time, I’ve been a bit low since Christmas – physically low, I felt physically at the end of my tether and had to regroup a bit.
‘This week, a friend of mine’s mother-in-law, who is 51 – younger than me – died from Covid. She got it at Christmas, it went down very quickly and she died, I just thought I can’t believe that here we are so far on.
‘Derek’s still ravaged from the effects of Covid from way back in March, his recovery is incredibly uncertain.
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the front cover of her ‘raw and emotional story’, The Power Of Hope, about her husband’s ‘long fight’.
Kate told her followers Derek’s ‘journey is far from over’ and the family are working out what their ‘new future will look like’.
Tough year: Kate Garraway has written a book detailing her husband Derek Draper’s battle with Covid-19. Released in April, the GMB star’s book is titled The Power Of Hope
Former lobbyist and political advisor Derek, 53, remains in hospital after being admitted in March last year with coronavirus.
Kate wrote: ‘Hello everyone – I’ve not been on here for a while as I’ve been taking time to gather myself and focus like everyone else on getting through this latest lockdown.
‘The pandemic is far from over and so is Derek’s journey but I have decided to share our story and what’s helping to keep me going, as we all try to work out what our new futures will look like.
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the front cover of her ‘raw and emotional story’, The Power Of Hope, about her husband’s ‘long fight’
‘Sending so much love’: Kate’s celebrity friends took to the comment section to show their support
‘I am really hoping that it will help you with all that you are going through.’
Kate’s celebrity friends took to the comment section to show their support.
Myleene Klass wrote: ‘Much love’, while Kate’s GMB co-host Ranvir Singh typed: ‘So proud of you and in awe of your drive and energy in the face of such difficulties’.
Lorraine Kelly added: ‘Hope is incredibly powerful’.
‘Long battle’: Derek, 53, remains in hospital after being admitted in March last year with coronavirus (pictured in December 2019)
Lizzie Cundy chimed: ‘Sending so much love to you . So proud of you . Such an inspiration.’
Kate previously spoke about the ‘intimate’ book, which will be released in April. She said: ‘Whilst my experience of Covid is an extreme/extraordinary one, I am only too aware that this virus has impacted every single one of us.
‘We are all going through this, to a greater or lesser degree.
‘By telling the story of Derek’s illness and how it has altered our lives, I hope to be able to reach out to others who are suffering.
The star, who is mother to Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11, continued: ‘If writing about my experience of facing fear, coping day to day with an uncertain future and finding strength for the sake of my kids can in some way help another who is feeling lost or in despair, it will mean a lot.’
Upsetting: Talking about the book Kate said: ‘Whilst my experience of Covid is an extraordinary one, I am only too aware that this virus has impacted every single one of us’
Publishers said Garraway will ‘share the raw and emotional story’ of Draper’s ‘long fight against Covid-19 and the devastating impact it continues to have on him and on their family’.
She will also ‘write about how she is coping with the uncertainty of their future, how she has found strength in community and how she strives to hold on to hope, even at the darkest of times’.
Editorial director Michelle Signore said she has been ‘inspired’ by Garraway’s ‘strength and how sympathetic she is to the plights of everyone whose life is affected by the virus’.
‘While having so much to contend with herself, she remains, always, so generous in spirit,’ she said.
Long road ahead: While Derek no longer has coronavirus, the disease has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes (pictured December 2019)
‘I am honoured to be publishing her book which, as well as telling her deeply personal story, will reach out and offer comfort and hope to anyone who is having to deal with issues such as loss, isolation, grief and separation at this most challenging of times.’
In August, Kate revealed she was writing a self-help book but explained that she was given the deal before Derek’s illness and was tweaking the book to include ‘insights’ from the ordeal.
While Derek no longer has coronavirus, the disease has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs.
He has regained minimal consciousness from his medically induced coma and while he has not been speaking, he heartbreakingly mouthed the word ‘pain’ in October last year.
Kate’s children finally got to visit their father in hospital in December.
Family: The star, who is mother to Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11,’ continued: ‘If writing about my experience can in some way help another who is feeling lost or in despair, it will mean a lot.’ (pictured in December 2019)
She admitted the family reunion was ‘heightened with emotion’ because her children saw how Derek was ‘very changed’ by his battle with the virus.
Reflecting on her first Christmas without Derek, Kate told her GMB co-presenter Ben Shepherd on air: ‘It was tough. I knew it was going to be tough. ‘There was a lovely moment which we did have.
‘We did get to see Derek and the children did, which is the first time they’ve been able to do that. So that was amazing.’
Kate admitted it came as a shock to her two children seeing Derek for the first time in almost 10 months, as he looked very different to when he was first admitted.
She continued: ‘It was very heightened with emotion, because he’s very changed.
‘So all the routines that we’d normally do, it was one of those moments that it was so wonderful but also it amplified how sad everything was. And how different it is.
‘But it was still fantastic, and we’re very grateful to have had that opportunity.’
Kate went onto reveal she’s now unable to see Derek due to new restrictions introduced during the third lockdown, which bans any visitors on the COVID-19 ward where he is recovering.
She told Ben: ‘And then instantly, now I’m in a position where even I can’t visit.
‘We’re into lockdown so no visits at all, which I hope doesn’t continue for the whole of lockdown, because I think that will be very impactful on Derek’s state.’
While Derek continues to recover away from home, Kate said she has been trying to be ‘both mum and dad’ to their two children.
Heartbreaking: Reflecting on her first Christmas without Derek, Kate told her GMB co-presenter Ben Shepherd on air: ‘It was tough. I knew it was going to be tough’
Kate has been supported by her GMB co-stars over the past year, including Dr Hilary Jones. She is said to go ITV’s resident doctor, 67, to talk to him about her husband’s condition, ever since he was admitted to hospital in March.
Speaking about the pair, fellow presenter Lorraine Kelly said last month: ‘He has been an absolute hero throughout this pandemic.
‘Bringing clarity and common-sense advice with real empathy and behind the scenes he has been helping Kate, whose husband is currently still in hospital.
‘And all of our team and crew who have been concerned and worried about themselves and their loved ones. He is a very special man.’
Kate also recently had an emotional conversation live on GMB with two nurses who saved Derek’s life.
The presenter had the chance to speak to Kathleen and Karen who work at North London’s Whittington Hospital, after they were invited to perform on the ITV show as part of a hospital choir.
Grateful: Kate also recently had an emotional conversation live on GMB with two nurses who saved Derek’s life
Kate revealed she hadn’t been able to speak to the nurses after they worked on former lobbyist and political advisor Derek, 53, in the early stages of his COVID-19 battle in March.
She said: ‘You saved his life. I’m going to get emotional, so thank you so much.’
Kathleen and Karen are part of a nationwide hospital choir releasing a cover of The Police hit Every Breath You Take for charity.
Kate then told GMB viewers and her co-host Ben Shephard:’I actually found out they looked after my husband Derek so I can’t wait to talk to them.’
Later in the show, Kate had her chance, as she told the nurses: ‘It’s so great to talk to you because I didn’t realise you cared for Derek at Whittington when he was first taken in.’
Doting mother: Kate has said: ‘I’ve got to keep life going on so Derek has a life to get back to’ (pictured with her and Derek’s children Billy, 11, and Darcey, 14)
‘You saved his life,’ she told them, adding: ‘I’m going to get emotional, so thank you so much. I’ve never spoken to you because we weren’t allowed to visit, it was a chaotic time, very often I wasn’t given information from direct carers so thank you so much.’
Kathleen said to Kate in response: ‘I was here the day he was admitted so we just want to wish you all the best from here.’
‘It’s been a difficult time,’ Karen added of their work more recently. ‘I think everybody acknowledges that, we are so much better this time around. Kathleen and I have been training everyone.’
Kate added another thank you as she told the nurses: ‘You’re absolute heroes, you’re saviours for Derek and it’s so wonderful to see your faces personally.’
The Power Of Hope will be published in hardback in April.