Kate Garraway shares new images of husband Derek Draper in hospital after revealing financial struggles
‘Derek is the sickest person the team of doctors have treated this year,’ says Good Morning Britain presenter
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Your support makes all the difference.Broadcaster Kate Garraway has revealed she's experienced financial struggles during the pandemic and has shared heartbreaking new images of her husband Derek Draper, who remains in hospital after contracting coronavirus in March.
"Derek is the sickest person the team of doctors have treated this year," said the former Good Morning Britain presenter, while sharing photos on the trailer for her new ITV documentary.
The presenter has also revealed how she's struggled financially, while her husband has been in the hospital, as she's unable to access the couple's joint account and cannot refinance her mortgage, without her husband's confirmation.
She had help from friends such as The Voice host Emma Willis, who is a Marks and Spencer brand ambassador. Willis sent her family a food parcel over Christmas: “They sent over a hamper of Christmas goodies," Garraway told The Sunday Times.
"So we had this extraordinary situation where we didn’t have any bread but we had canapés. The kids would ask, ‘What’s for breakfast?’ ‘Canapés.’ ‘Can’t we have Rice Krispies?’ ‘No — we don’t have any. But you can have truffles!’”
While Mr Draper no longer tests positive for coronavirus, he is still in hospital battling the after-effects of the disease, which include holes in his lungs and heart and diabetes.
"The very worst moment was when they said he could be locked in forever. And I just thought, this is a horror story," the broadcaster said in interview.
Mr Draper was a former Labour Party advisor. "I don't know if he'll ever have any kind of life again. We just don't know," said Garraway.
More than 186,000 people who have contracted Covid-19 in the UK are now living with long Covid symptoms, including extreme fatigue.
"I wanted to keep all of his financial times which he gets every day delivered. So they're all here ready for you Derek when you come back ... maybe it's like a little capsule of time really,” says the Garraway at the start of her new one-off film.
“If he can wake up and he can begin to piece things together, maybe it will help him process the time that's passed.”
The documentary Kate Garraway: Finding Derek airs at 9pm on 23 March, on ITV.
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