Kate Garraway says husband Derek is in a ‘terrible state’ after inflammation passed through his brain

KATE Garraway revealed the dire state her husband Derek Draper is in after his almost two-year battle with Covid.

The Good Morning Britain presenter said husband Derek was in a “terrible state” during the final episode of Life Stories episode hosted by Piers Morgan.


Kate Garraway says husband Derek is in a ‘terrible state’ after inflammation passed through his brain
Kate Garraway opened up on the ‘terrible state’ husband Derek Draper was in on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories

Derek fell ill with coronavirus early last year and spent more than a year in hospital which led to him being placed into a medically-induced coma as he suffered long-term damage to his organs.

But even though Kate was finally able to bring him home, does not mean things have gotten easier for the family as he’s thought to be one of the worst affected living Covid patients in the United Kingdom.

Derek requires round-the-clock care after Covid “devastated him” all the way “from the top of his head to the tip of his toe.”

Piers, 56, probed his good friend Kate who is set to replace him on the ITV interview series about what “has Covid done to your husband?”

A stoic Kate replied: “It’s devastated him. From the top of his head to the tip of his toe.

“His digestive system, his liver, his kidneys, his heart, his nervous system. We’re pretty sure that the inflammation did pass through the brain.

“He still can’t communicate, he still has issues with mobility. Fundamentally, he’s in a terrible state. Look, he’s alive, Piers.”

Kate, who shares children Darcy, 15, and 11-year-old Billy with Derek, is still hopeful things will look up for her family.

“It does feel as though I walked through a fiery furnace or fell down a rabbit hole,” she said.

“The world went dark and still looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, really.”

During the preview clip from tonight’s show, Piers also opened up about a special moment he recently shared with Derek.

“We had a moment last night when I rang you about this interview. Without warning, you said to me, ‘Why don’t you talk to Derek?’ and Derek replied when you said it was me, very loud, clear, ‘Hello’,” he told Kate.

“And I said a few things to him and at the end he said, ‘Thank you’. I was stunned.”

“Well, so were we,” Kate replied.

“The carers that were with me at the time burst into tears. I mean, I don’t want to suggest you’re a healer Piers but it was a remarkable moment. It’s moments like that that make you realise that he is in there.

“And we’ve had others – he will turn to me and say, ‘I love you.'”

Piers admitted moment like that must give Kate “hope” and it is Derek’s way of telling her, ‘I’m here, I’m alive, keep going.’

Kate agreed: “I think you’re right and I think I’m going to cry already.

“He’s fought so hard to stay in this world and I’m not giving up on him ever. He will have moments of clarity and it’s like he disappears again.”

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories airs Sunday at 8pm on ITV


Kate Garraway says husband Derek is in a ‘terrible state’ after inflammation passed through his brain
Derek is thought to be one of the worst affected people living with Covid in the UK
Kate Garraway says husband Derek is in a ‘terrible state’ after inflammation passed through his brain
Kate said the inflammation had passed through his brain and Covid had affected his entire body
Kate Garraway says husband Derek is in a ‘terrible state’ after inflammation passed through his brain
Kate is set to take over from Piers on ITV’s Life Stories