Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway has announced that she will take her husband, Derek Draper, to Mexico for a second round of experimental treatment in a desperate bid to save him from the devastating effects of Covid-19.
Derek, who became the longest-suffering coronavirus patient in the UK after spending 13 months in hospital, apart from his family, has been unwell with long Covid since 2020 after becoming gravely ill with the virus at the onset of the pandemic. Kate has cared for Derek since then, and he remains unable to walk and has developed debilitating symptoms.
Following a previously ‘gruelling’ trip to Mexico at the beginning of 2022, Kate hopes to fly Derek back for an additional round of treatment. She described the treatment in Mexico as potentially life-changing and stated that the plan is to continue the trial in a way that is financially viable for the family.
Although Kate insisted that they had ‘wonderful treatment’ from the NHS, which was essential in keeping her husband alive, the foreign trips offer ‘potentially life-saving treatment’.
Kate has had to spend ‘tens of thousands of pounds’ adapting the family home in London for Derek, which included the installation of ramps, a downstairs wet room, and a makeshift downstairs bedroom. She shared that it has been tough financially and that Derek’s care is self-funded, with no special treatment or bypassed waiting lists due to her celebrity status.
Kate had to take long periods off when Derek was first sick, and the family income has been affected as Derek can no longer work. She also had to close down the business that she and Derek had together while taking on assistants to care for Derek while she was doing her TV work.
Reflecting on the ups and downs of caring for her husband, Kate remarked that every day is a ‘roller coaster’ as Derek’s spirit ‘fluctuates’. She also shared that there are days when Covid-stricken Derek ‘cannot do anything’ and is in so much pain.
Derek is trapped, but he fights on, and Kate noted that despite his insistence that they carry on, it is unbearable to see him in pain. She admitted that it makes her emotional just speaking about it but also makes her fall in love with him all over again because of that spirit, that determination to keep going.
In January, Kate confronted former health secretary Matt Hancock over his handling of the pandemic and his decision to go on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, becoming overwhelmed as she spoke about her inability to visit Derek in the hospital due to Covid restrictions.
Mr Hancock was eventually forced to resign in June 2021 when he was caught flouting his social distancing guidance by kissing Gina Coladangelo, whom he hired with taxpayers’ money. Kate shared a message of hope last month, where she revealed her mood had finally lifted after feeling like she was ‘trudging uphill on ice’ since Sunday. She is committed to doing everything in her power to help Derek recover and has expressed her gratitude to those who have helped them thus far.
»Kate Garraway plans to take husband to Mexico«
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