KATE Garraway prepares her children for a heartbreaking Christmas while her husband fights for his life.
Derek Draper (56), who contracted Covid 2020, suffered a massive heart attack last Monday.
3
Kate Garraway prepares her family for a heartbreaking ChristmasCredit: Enterprise
3
The star documented Derek’s harrowing health battle since he was first hospitalized with Covid in 2020.
3
Kate put all TV and radio work on hold to support Derek in hospital
Brave Kate has canceled all television and radio work to keep vigil 24/7, taking an indefinite leave of absence from presenting.
Family and friends say Derek was “looking forward to Christmas at home with his family.”
But now Kate is forced to prepare their children for a less cheerful holiday season.
A source told The Sun: “This setback has been a huge blow to his family and all the people who care about him.
“Kate is with him 24 hours a day and wants him to win this latest battle for his life.
“Derek has fought so many times, and always, against all odds, he’s come out on the other side.
“Kate was absolutely amazing – by his side as she was a great mum to Darcey and Billy and tried to live up to their expectations of a family Christmas.”
Derek was first rushed to hospital with Covid in March 2020.
After falling into a coma and being put on a ventilator, he spent 13 months in hospital, making him Britain’s longest-serving victim of the coronavirus.
Since then, he has struggled with various health problems. The virus caused inflammation of the brain, kidney failure and damage to the liver and pancreas.
One brain scan last year showed white spots, which are commonly seen in patients with vascular dementia.
He underwent a series of inconclusive lung tests and still has difficulty breathing without assistance.
After returning to the family home in north London, Kate was forced to spend thousands to adapt it for her ailing husband.
She also had to pay for round-the-clock carers and physiotherapists.
Derek — whose days were mostly filled with meetings, trips to the hospital and sleep — was the subject of two critically acclaimed documentaries fronted by Kate.
In them, she was shown to survive on about four hours of sleep, often getting up every two hours to help the carer move Derek.
She washes and changes his bedclothes at least seven times a day.
Last February, The Sun revealed the couple had secretly flown to Mexico for the groundbreaking medical trial.
Kate accompanied him on the 16-hour, 11,000-mile journey after being contacted by the world-renowned doctor after seeing ex-doctor Derek’s plight on TV.
He had two more trips to a specialist clinic in a last ditch effort to help him lead a normal life.
After Derek was left unable to speak, Kate also revealed that her husband’s first words were “pain”.
In June, Kate received an MBE. Derek was at Windsor Castle when Prince William presented her with an award for her services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.
But just days later, Kate revealed that Derek had been rushed to hospital after a lucky break.
Meanwhile, welfare campaigners have backed her after she revealed she was “fighting the system” to provide basic care for Derek, while fearing she could lose the support he needed.
In March, Kate described the constant pain Derek suffers.
She said: “Derek is trapped but he is fighting on. Let’s stick to the good days. Every day is a roller coaster. His spirit fluctuates.
“Sometimes he’s laying there, he can’t move, and tears are rolling down his face and it’s heartbreaking. But if it’s hard for us, I can’t imagine how hard it is for him.”
Kate’s spokesperson confirmed: “Derek has been very seriously ill this week.
“He’s a fighter and we’re all praying for him to win this last battle.”
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education