Kate Garraway discusses husband Derek Draper’s condition in intensive care: ‘The heart of the family has been ripped out’

‘There’s been more than the odd day when I’ve just been consumed with fear,’ broadcaster states

(Tim Ireland/PA Wire/PA Images)

Kate Garraway has spoken sincerely about her husband’s condition in intensive care, saying that the “sadness” and “heartbreak” she has been experiencing have been “the most wearing things”.

In late March, Garraway’s husband, former lobbyist Derek Draper, was taken ill with coronavirus.

While he initially suspected the painkillers he was taking at the time were causing him to feel unwell, it was quickly discovered that Draper had contracted Covid-19, despite not showing any of the main symptoms.

As the 53-year-old’s state worsened at a rapid rate, he was admitted to intensive care and placed in a medically-induced coma.

In July, it was reported that Draper had come out of a “deeper coma” and was in a minimal state of consciousness.

In a new interview with You magazine, Garraway described the emotional toll she and her family have been coping with over the past few months.

“We hope and believe he will come out of it, but we just don’t know,” the 53-year-old said, who shares two children with Draper.

“The heart of the family has been ripped out and we don’t know if we will ever get it back.”

Garraway explained that while on some days the doctors will say that they have noticed an improvement of Draper’s condition, “you don’t feel the euphoria you’d like because you have this feeling the next day something else will have gone wrong”.

“At first it was all about Derek’s lungs. But then his kidneys started failing and he was on dialysis. Now they’ve realised Covid can affect every cell of the body: most recently Derek’s been having problems with his intestines,” she said.

“The absorption of food and vomiting are problems and they’re trying to work out whether that’s because his cells don’t produce the enzymes to digest. His liver and heart and blood vessels have been affected.”

In July, Garraway returned to her post as a presenter on Good Morning Britain.

The journalist told You magazine that upon her return, she “didn’t want to talk too much on air about the sadness of Derek”, as she didn’t want to “bring anybody down”.

“My job is to cheer people up. But it’s a balance: I also don’t want anyone to think, ‘There she is smiling and not caring about her husband,” she stated.

“I anticipated nastiness, but the truth is I haven’t been trolled at all. Everyone has been staggeringly supportive.”

Garraway said that while there has been “the odd day when I’ve just been consumed with fear”, she doesn’t feel that she can “go to bed and cry for 24 hours”, as her children need her to be there for them.

Thursday 10 September marks Garraway and Draper’s 15th wedding anniversary, a milestone they had originally planned on commemorating by renewing their vows and having a party.

Despite the sadness and difficulties she and her family have faced, the news presenter said they are “lucky”, considering those whose loved ones have passed away throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

“What you have to keep thinking is there were so many moments when doctors thought we’d lost Derek or were about it, and he’s still here. There is still hope,” she said.