September 10th 2023.
Kate Garraway has opened up about her heartbreaking journey as a carer for her husband Derek Draper. In a new interview with The Times, the Good Morning Britain star revealed the devastating reality of taking care of Derek 24/7 and the terrifying new condition he has developed.
Derek contracted Covid-19 in 2020 and has since been left with serious complications. He requires full-time care and needs two carers to look after him in 12-hour shifts.
Kate was asked to list her husband’s medical problems and replied that ‘the biggest problem is there are so many unknowns.’ She then detailed Derek’s choking condition, noting that he ‘can neither breathe in oxygen nor expel carbon dioxide efficiently’.
The veteran presenter then spoke about the ‘weird choking condition’ Derek has developed. ‘It happened again just last weekend. For absolutely no reason, he just went blue,’ she said. Kate watched ‘terrified’ with her son as Derek’s carers rushed to save him.
Kate has released two documentaries on the subject - Finding Derek and Caring for Derek - and regularly speaks about life as a carer for her husband. Last month, she revealed her husband was trapped for around an hour in a passport scanner specifically made for wheelchair users at the airport.
Derek now uses a wheelchair and has very little strength in his arms, and the complications have also affected his cognition and speech. Even though conscious effort has been made to make things work, Kate believes there needs to be more disabled people talking about it.
Kate’s heartbreaking journey has been an eye-opening experience for many. Through her powerful documentaries, she has highlighted the reality of what it’s like to live as a carer and the unique challenges that come with it.
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