Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper, 52, has “opened his eyes” from a coma after contracting COVID-19 back in March.
The ITV star, who previously said she would “never” give up on her husband, says she has keenly been anticipating the positive news regarding his condition.
It comes after she told Hello Magazine the following:
“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.”
Great news to start off the week. It’s early days but so pleased to hear this news. Thinking of you Kate and your children 💕 @kategarraway 💕 pic.twitter.com/iL4svL0DcJ
— My Favourite Bench (@MyFaveBench) July 6, 2020
She added:
“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.”
It's hard to imagine what it must be like to have the person you love the most in a coma for this length of time.
Every hour of every day must feel like such an endurance, and refusing to give up hope must be exhausting.
I hope he ends up making a full recovery.#KateGarraway https://t.co/SuerLWVyOP— •ⓜ•ⓐ•ⓣ•ⓣ•ⓗ•ⓔ•ⓦ• (@MisterMatthewUK) July 6, 2020
Kate was told a number of times that her husband could lose his life.
She said:
“The doctors have been urging me not to put my life on pause.
They’ve told me that I need to go back to work and create a routine in our lives again.”
The mother of two also said:
“I have been living at the end of the phone 24/7, waiting for news of Derek.
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.
Billy starts secondary school in September, but Derek’s doctors say he won’t be out of hospital by then.
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.”
Kate Garraway reveals nurses help her children keep in touch with dad Derek by holding an iPad at his bedside https://t.co/WdVhvWjWMv
— The Sun Showbiz (@TheSunShowbiz) July 5, 2020
In addition to COVID-19, Derek was struggling with a hole in his heart.
He also requires kidney dialysis and has diabetes following pancreatic complications.
Piers Morgan, who co-hosts Good Morning Britain with Kate and Susanna Ried, also shared his thoughts on the situation:
“We have one of our own, Kate Garraway, whose husband is in this terrible position. We wish them, as always, the very best, but they’re living in hope.”
Kate had opened up about her husband’s condition in an interview she gave to co-star Ben Sheppard on ITV last month.
She said:
“He’s very, very sick. And as time goes on…it’s a virus, it’s like a computer virus, I think.
The doctors manage one bit extraordinarily well and there seems to be a flicker of hope, and then other things emerge and they’re fighting that.
It’s affected him from the top of his head to the tip of his toes.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here co-star Myles Stephenson said last Friday he has been a “big brother” to Kate and Derek’s kids.
He told The Sun:
“It breaks my heart. I have such a close relationship with them all – including Derek.”
See Kate’s update on her husband’s condition in the video below.
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