Kate’s joy at Derek’s homecoming
The TV star has welcomed her husband back
He was rushed to hospital with coronavirus over a year ago, and has remained in intensive care ever since. But last week, Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper returned home, where he’ll continue to receive 24-hour care. Speaking about the “amazing” news on Good Morning Britain, Kate said it was still early days and that she was “trying to balance the emotions of the next stage”, but that the whole family had “burst into tears” upon his arrival. “As we pulled up, I could see two little faces, Darcey and Billy [Kate and Derek’s children, aged 15 and 11], looking out the window, and I could literally see them go, ‘He’s here!’” she revealed. “There was a lot of hugging and we got him inside. He absolutely knew he was home, he is responding all the time. What he’s not able to do is to talk.” Kate was praised last month for her powerful documentary, Finding Derek, which charted her husband’s year in intensive care. Viewers saw how he’d been put into an induced coma while doctors treated him for COVID and how, despite overcoming the virus, the damage to his body and internal organs could be lifelong. Speaking last week, she explained that doctors had decided to send Derek home as – with all the hospital restrictions still in place – his progress had stalled, because he couldn’t have the necessary therapy or family contact. She added that they’re now taking every precaution and have a team of round-the-clock carers. “It does feel a little bit like the hospital has come home with me at the moment,” Kate said. “He can’t really move. We do need a lot of help.” n