Jump directly to the content

KATE Garraway spoke about fighting to keep husband Derek Draper alive during an emotional interview with Archie Battersbee's mum Hollie on Good Morning Britain today.

Archie, 12, has been in a coma since April after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury.

Kate Garraway shared insight into her fight to keep husband Derek Draper alive on Good Morning Britain today
6
Kate Garraway shared insight into her fight to keep husband Derek Draper alive on Good Morning Britain today
She spoke to Archie Battersbee's mother Hollie who is battling to keep his life support turned on in the Supreme Court
6
She spoke to Archie Battersbee's mother Hollie who is battling to keep his life support turned on in the Supreme Court
The parents of Archie Battersbee, Paul and Hollie, after the Court of Appeal refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from the 12-year-old
6
The parents of Archie Battersbee, Paul and Hollie, after the Court of Appeal refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from the 12-year-oldCredit: PA

His life support is expected to be switched off at midday after the Court of Appeal rejected a last-minute bid to postpone the ending of his treatment.

Kate, 55, has been caring for Derek after he fell ill with Covid in 2020 and he returned to hospital last month after contracting "life-threatening" sepsis.

The GMB presenter, who recently took time off work to care for her sick husband Derek, said: "I’ve got a couple of things to ask you that are a little bit based from my own experience, which I want to stress, particularly for Derek's family who might be watching, is very different from yours.

"Mercifully I've not had to have the conversations with doctors about discussions of turning off the life support machines, and Derek's brain stem has never been affected in the way that poor Archie's had.

Read more on Archie Battersbee

"But I have had to have conversations in my own head with myself sometimes when Derek was in a coma and in a state of minimum consciousness, about how much my frenzy to fight for him and to check every possible option was about me and my needs and how much was about him.

"And I understand your fight but I guess what the courts are there for is to try and manage our instinct and what is right for the person. Have you thought about that?"

Hollie replied: "Yes of course I have. And if Archie was in pain and deteriorating in the way it has been put over to the courts then I would be feeling very different but that isn’t the case. And based on that not being the case I find it very hard not to exhaust every option."

Archie's brave mum earlier explained: "Archie is showing very different signs. He’s progressing in so many ways.

"He regulates his own body temperature, he has a stable heart beat, he holds his own blood pressure, he’s gaining weight, all different things that haven't been put over.

"Archie has held my hand, he’s held other people’s hands, squeezed fingers, he squeezed them so tight my fingers were red.

"He’s opened his eyes, he’s attempted to breathe, all we’re asking for is time."

Kate returned Good Morning Britain yeasterday after being forced to rush to Derek's bedside on July 9.

She told viewers upon her return on Monday: "Derek came out of hospital three weeks ago and we hadn't had any medical eruptions.

"Then we were on air and I got a phone call from the person looking after him saying 'we are really worried'. He was just really unwell.

"I whizzed home and it just went 'boom' from there.

"We called an ambulance, he went to A&E and they said he had very severe, life-threatening sepsis. It was really dramatic."

Kate said that medics were working quickly to find the source of infection and find the right antibiotics to treat it.

"By process of elimination and questions, a really junior doctor asked me what I thought it might be," she said.

"He knew it wasn't Covid because we tested before, but I said I wondered if it was a urine infection but weirdly we couldn't get anything for a sample.

"They just went, 'kidneys'. Unfortunately his kidneys were really badly infected, blocked, and the challenge now is to save them.

Derek remains in hospital awaiting a further procedure, but he is no longer in ICU.

People reacted to her conversation with Hollie on Twitter and said they had been left in tears.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

Read More on The Sun

A concerned viewer wrote: "Hi Kate, just watching you on Good Morning Britain. I hope Derek is improving, take care of yourself though Kate, you are not looking your usual self."

Another fan tweeted out: "Absolutely heartbreaking! Prayers for Archie while the Courts decide his Fate! am in tears!"

Archie was found unconscious at his home by his mother on April 7 and has not regained consciousness since
6
Archie was found unconscious at his home by his mother on April 7 and has not regained consciousness sinceCredit: PA
Kate and Derek at home
6
Kate and Derek at home
Derek, 55, has suffered devastating health problems since contracting Covid in 2020
6
Derek, 55, has suffered devastating health problems since contracting Covid in 2020Credit: Rex
Topics