Kate Garraway is keeping a “vigil” by her husband Derek Draper’s side after the political consultant suffered a “massive heart attack” which has seen him hospitalised ahead of Christmas.
Derek reportedly fell more ill on Monday with The Sun reporting that the family have been left praying for a “miracle” following his latest health woes. A source told the publication that his condition was a “shock” with Derek said to have been “doing well” and in “high spirits” ahead of the heart attack.
Derek has been living with COVID-19 since 2020, when the father-of-two was placed in a medically-induced coma as he fought the virus. The virus has left him with lasting effects meaning that he requires around-the-clock care.
During an appearance on the Emotionally Speaking podcast, Kate confessed that she never felt that her husband was “safe” due to his ongoing medical conditions, including liver problems and kidney failure.
“I think he’s had a big emotional struggle,” she said. “One of the challenges with Derek is we’ve never felt like he is safe, so every infection and rush back to hospital might be the moment he is taken from us.”
The Good Morning Britain star also spoke about her “heartbreak” over watching him. “When he wakes up in the morning it is heartbreaking,” the mum-of-two explained. “Because it feels as though you are watching someone who may have been inhabiting his old life in his dreams. And then he wakes up and you see the cloud descend of the battle he has ahead.”
© InstagramDerek was in hospital last month, with Kate opening up about the experience on Loose Women as she reassurred viewers it was a “positive” visit following a referral and that he shouldn’t be in for “too long”. “He’s actually back in hospital at the moment, I haven’t talked about this,” she explained. “But not for horrific drama, fortunately.
“There have been lots of referrals and cancellations and he’s gone back in for something that he began last year which he needed the second part of which will hopefully mean he has more movement of his contractions. So it’s a positive hospital thing but hopefully, he won’t be in for too long.”
© ShutterstockSpeaking to Metro at the Pride of Britain Awards back in October, the journalist revealed that her husband was “not doing great”.
The couple share two teenage children together, Darcey and Billy, who have both been dealing with their “own traumas” as a result of their father’s illness.
© ShutterstockDuring an appearance on This Morning, Kate touched on how her children have been coping. “He is most alive when they’re around,” she said. “They are unbelievable. I haven’t really talked a lot about them in some ways, but they’ve had their own traumas and it’s not my story to tell.”
