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KATE’S AGONY
Kate Garraway made desperate 12-hour flight with Derek after he had heart attack in Mexico to try to get him home
Derek was stabilised and put on a medical-evacuation plane for the 12-hour trip home
KATE Garraway made a desperate 12-hour flight to the UK with husband Derek Draper in a bid to save his life after he had a cardiac arrest.
Brave Kate endured “eight gruelling weeks” after taking Covid-stricken husband Derek Draper to Mexico for specialist treatment.
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Good Morning Britain star Kate returned to London to care for their children Darcey, 17, and 14-year-old Billy — and even hoped to attend Piers Morgan’s Christmas party alongside Derek.
But in early December, while getting a connecting flight inside Mexico, she was told her husband had suffered cardiac arrest.
Derek — who sustained brain, kidney and liver damage after being ravaged by Covid in March 2020 — was stabilised and put on a medical-evacuation plane for the 12-hour trip home.
Kate was by his side for the arduous flight during the week beginning December 11.
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She and the children then spent Christmas with him in a London hospital before he passed away, aged 56, on Wednesday evening.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “It’s been an unbelievably gruelling eight weeks for Kate, and how she is still going is quite remarkable.
“Derek and Kate made the trip to Mexico in November. They did it without fanfare as they didn’t want to get up everyone’s hopes.
“The treatment went incredibly well, and his doctor and all the consultants were hugely optimistic about his long-term progress, and future.
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“Unfortunately as Kate excitedly returned to bring Derek home he suffered a cardiac arrest.
“Doctors confirmed this could have happened at any point over the last four years due to the damage to Derek’s organs inflicted by Covid. Quite simply, it was unavoidable.
“Kate was by his side in intensive care in Mexico and worked with Derek’s UK consultants who oversaw his treatment and his return, which was a military operation.
“Under his UK doctor’s guidance, he was flown home by medevac — a specialist and extremely costly, air ambulance — to be put in intensive care at a London hospital.
“This in itself was a huge undertaking and ordeal.
“Unfortunately, despite the doctors in Mexico getting his heart beating stably again, Covid damage meant further complications ultimately affected his chance of recovery.”
The Sun on Sunday first reported Derek’s cardiac arrest and Kate’s vigil on December 17. And on December 24 we reported how she and the children were spending Christmas at his bedside.
Derek was reportedly the longest-surviving patient with Covid after 184 days in and out of intensive care in 2020.
He returned home on a trial basis in April 2021 — a month after Kate and ITV released broadcast Finding Derek, an award-winning documentary about his plight.
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It showed the extraordinary bond between Kate and Derek, who wed in 2005, and their two children.
The programme also inspired millions of Brits whose families had been devastated by Covid.
A world-renowned US doctor contacted Kate after seeing the documentary.
And in February 2022 Derek was admitted for the first of three 28-day stays at the Mexico clinic as doctors continued to monitor his brain, liver and lung function.
Kate said at the time: “It took weeks and weeks of planning, and when I told Derek about this place he was excited.
“He’s just so desperate to get better — he will do anything he can to make that happen. I think actually there’s a huge amount of hope for him to improve.
“I think the treatment could be positive. I want to be slightly careful about saying too much, because I’m aware everybody will go, ‘What is the trial?’
“And I don’t want to start something, offering up false hope to others who might be in a similar position.”
In October 56-year-old Kate’s second ITV documentary Caring For Derek won her another National Television Award.
It underlined how much time and energy she devoted to looking after him around-the-clock at home.
She also published two books, titled The Power of Hope and The Strength of Love.
Not only was Derek’s condition a physical and emotional strain on Kate and the family, but it also hit her financially hard as they had to make adaptions to their house to accommodate his care.
However, Kate was determined to maintain a loving family environment and did not complain.
But there were also bright spots too, such as when Kate brought Derek with her to Windsor Castle last June to receive her MBE for services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.
They were joined at the ceremony by her parents Gordon and Marilyn, and Kate spoke of Derek’s determination to be there.
After getting her award from Prince William, she posted: “Well what a week, that started with Derek in hospital and ended with Derek in hospital, but with this extraordinary day in the middle.”
She was left understandably devastated by his death last week.
Kate wrote: “I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
“As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications.
“Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed.”
Kate said she would say more in due course but thanked the medical teams “who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible”.
She added: “Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support.
“Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.”
Derek, born in Chorley, Lancs, in 1967, worked as a former researcher for politician Peter Mandelson and played a key role in the creation of New Labour in the 1990s.
Tributes flooded in with former Prime Minister Tony Blair describing Derek as a “good colleague and great friend”.
Mr Blair added: “It is extraordinary and remarkable that Derek survived so long after the ravages of Covid.
“And that was in large measure due to the love Derek had for his family and they for him.”
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Kate is now taking a break from her TV and radio presenting roles but plans to return to work in the future.
Derek’s funeral is expected to take place later this month.
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