Kate Garraway reveals husband Derek is back in hospital after Covid battle
KATE Garraway's husband Derek Draper is back in hospital, she revealed today.
The Good Morning Britain star was appearing at the Tric Awards in London when she opened up about his condition.
Kate, 55, told The Sun: "He's OK, he's back in hospital actually, so that's a development. There we are."
Speaking about how her children Darcey, 16, and Billy, 12, had been supporting her, she added: "They've been amazing - all the way through."
Derek contracted coronavirus in March 2020 and spent an agonising 13 months in hospital, believed to be Britain's longest-suffering Covid patient.
The Sun revealed in April last year that he had finally returned home to be with Kate and their children.
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His progress was documented in two ITV films, Finding Derek and its heartbreaking follow-up, Caring For Derek.
Kate helped nurse her husband back to health around the clock after the former Labour advisor returned to their London home.
It took months before Derek was able to tell his wife he "loves her" again - a phrase he was able to tell Kate for the first time since he became unwell.
She revealed in the film that she secretly flew Derek to North America for a ground-breaking medical trial in November.
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The GMB star pursued the trip when a world renowned US doctor contacted her after seeing the family's plight on TV.
Though Derek, a former political adviser, is now free of the virus, he has sustained long-lasting damage to his organs and his recovery is ongoing.
He suffered a "scare" over Christmas, which almost landed him back in hospital.
But Kate admitted "everything felt suddenly perfect" as the family ended Christmas Day watching a festive film together at home.
Timeline of Derek Draper's coronavirus battle
2020
- March 30: Derek rushed to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.
- Mid April: Derek was admitted to intensive care four days later. He entered a coma as his condition deteriorated.
- May 1: Kate shared that Derek is still unresponsive.
- May 28: The GMB presenter said that Derek is still in a coma and under the care of the NHS but that she is hopeful.
- May 31: Kate revealed she has been forced to find new ways to keep her kids strong as Derek remains critical.
- June 2: Kate is urged to "have hope" as her fans send her uplifting stories.
- June 5: Kate made an emotional appearance on GMB to tell viewers that her husband is "very very sick" but "Covid free", and that they are not sure if "he will recover".
- June 6: Kate told The Sun that Derek may be locked in a coma forever after coronavirus "attacked everything".
- June 7: Kate also revealed to The Sun that her son, Billy, 10, sleeps beside his dad's empty bed while he is in a coronavirus coma.
- June 14: Piers Morgan writes in his Daily Mail column that Kate doesn't know if Derek will ever come home.
- July 5: Kate revealed that Derek has woken from the coma and is now opening his eyes.
- July 8: Kate goes on GMB to talk about Derek being out of coma but how it is "a miracle he is still alive".
- July 13: Kate returns to GMB.
- July 14: Kate reveals she will be visiting Derek in hospital.
- July 19: Kate revealed her heartache at Derek missing their son's birthday.
- July 21: Kate revealed her husband heard her voice when nurses put GMB on for him. She also revealed that she would be visiting him for a second time.
- July 22: Kate's Global radio colleague Roman Kemp revealed that her kids are going through a "tough time".
- July 27: On GMB, Kate reveals she is "at her limit" after a car tyre blowout on the motorway. The terrifying blowout occurred when Kate was driving back to the hospital to visit Derek after taking their children on a trip to Kent.
- July 28: Kate reveals Derek is stable but hasn't improved, but that she visited him in hospital a day earlier despite her car blowout.
- July 29: Kate's Good Morning Britain colleague Alex Beresford said he has been "in awe" of her resilience.
- August 3: Kate revealed Jeremy Kyle helped take her kids Billy and Darcey to stay with ill dad Derek’s parents.
- August 4: Kate revealed how she wanted to donate her own blood to save Derek.
- August 10: Kate revealed how she desperately wants Derek to wake up.
- August 11: Kate said she will donate "liquid gold" plasma although it's too late for it to have an affect on Derek as he is no longer fighting coronavirus.
- August 13: Kate wishes husband Derek "good morning"; as she tells GMB viewers he’ll be watching in hospital.
- August 17: Kate missed her slot on Good Morning Britain - though she was scheduled to have a day off.
- August 19: Kate returns to GMB after taking a few days off. - she revealed she fought back tears at a "challenging" day being separated from Derek on his 53rd birthday.
- August 20: Kate reveals she has received "abuse" about "laughing and joking" on Good Morning Britain while Derek remains in intensive care.
- September 10: Kate revealed it's a "tough day" as it's their 15th Wedding Anniversary and she cannot visit Derek.
- September 11: Kate revealed Derek was still unable to speak but she would be visiting him in hospital to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.
- September 25: Kate reveals it had been a "tough week" for Derek.
- September 28: Kate's ITV breakfast colleague Lorraine Kelly rips into Covid protesters saying they need to see Kate's "hell’.
- September 29: It was revealed how Derek's six-month Covid battle is now longest in the UK.
- October 1: Kate said she is tempted to show Covid rule-breakers a picture of Derek and warned "you don’t want this in your life’".
- October 30: Derek uttered his first word - "pain" after 214 days in hospital.
- November 20: Kate says she feels "physically sick"; about Christmas alone without Derek.
- December 7: Kate reflected on her "missed moments" of 2020 as husband continues to battle coronavirus in hospital
- December 17: Kate fights back tears as she thanks the nurses who ‘saved husband Derek’s life’ for the first time.
2021
- January 7, 2021: Kate reveals her kids saw sick husband Derek for the first time since March 2020 over Christmas, but lockdown means she's banned from seeing him again.
- February 11, 2021: Kate returns to GMB and reveals her heartache after being unable to see Derek since Christmas and says there’s "no end in sight".
- February 26, 2021: Dr Hilary reveals he has been supporting Kate.
- March 20, 2021: Kate said her seriously-ill husband Derek's brain is "no longer his friend".
- March 23. 2021: Kate's Finding Derek documentary airs and reveals the heartbreaking moment her husband woke up from his coma.
- April 8, 2021: Derek set to return home where he will continue to receive round-the-clock care.
- April 9, 2021: Derek is finally back in his family home in North London after over a year in hospital.
- September 9, 2021: Kate was left in tears as she accepted an NTA gong for her documentary about Derek.
- October 9, 2021: Kate claimed Derek is still sleeping 20 hours a day and is unable to communicate as he did before contracting Covid.
- October 21, 2021: Kate revealed Prince Charles is the royal who extended a helping hand amid Derek's Covid battle during the Prince's Trust Awards at St James' Palace in London.
2022
- January 4, 2022: Kate says Derek is phenomenally fatigued and very weak, and they don’t know what the New Year will bring.
- February 21, 2022: It was revealed Derek could die withing three days if left alone.
- February 22, 2022: Kate said she slept for the first time in TWO years after moving in with former GMTV co-star