Advertisement

Kate Garraway says husband Derek Draper has opened his eyes but remains in intensive care

Kate Garraway says her husband Derek Draper has emerged from a “deeper coma” and is now in a minimal state of consciousness.

The Good Morning Britain presenter’s husband has been in hospital since March when he was placed in an induced coma after contracting coronavirus.

In a new interview with Hello! magazine, Kate has given an update on Derek’s condition and revealed that he has started to regain consciousness and recently opened his eyes.

“We’re keeping positive and doing everything we can to bring him round. The children and I communicate with him every day on FaceTime, while a nurse holds his iPad,” Kate said.

“I really believe he can hear. When medical staff say: ‘Good morning, Derek’, he sometimes opens his eyes. We and the doctors are doing everything we can so that he can start to recover.”

Kate went on to explain that doctors have urged her not to put her life on hold, warning that Derek’s current condition could persist “for years”.

“They’ve told me that I need to go back to work and create a routine in our lives again,” Kate said.

“The children and Derek are all I’ve thought about and they’re the most important people in my life, but I must create structure and normality for the children, to clean the bath, put the plates in the dishwasher, and tidy the house.”

Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper was hospitalised after contracting coronavirus in March (Rex)
Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper was hospitalised after contracting coronavirus in March (Rex)

The mother-of-two added that she is preparing to return to work at Good Morning Britain as well as her slot on Smooth Radio so she can “provide for the children” and “make them feel that the light hasn’t gone out of their lives”.

“I have been living at the end of the phone 24/7, waiting for news of Derek,” Kate said. “But the doctors have warned that his condition could persist for years so I have to get on with life whilst we are waiting for him to get better.

“My priority is to make the children feel safe, not to let them see me feeling vulnerable in the world where Derek was my rock.”

Last month, Kate opened up about the severity of damage Covid-19 has had on Derek’s body, saying that while he is now coronavirus-free, the disease has left him with a whole in his heart, in need of kidney dialysis and diabetic after complications with his pancreas.

“We may lose him even if we don’t lose him,” she told The Sun.

“If he doesn’t wake up, then he’s sort of lost anyway ... not that I’d love him any less or ever give up.”

Read more

Prince Charles praises ‘remarkably selfless’ NHS workers