Derek Draper is reportedly "fighting for his life after a heart attack".
Derek Draper suffers devastating health setback
The 56-year-old husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway has been seriously ill since contracting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic in 2020 and Kate is said to have cancelled all TV and radio work to keep a vigil at his bedside.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "Everyone is praying for a miracle.
"Derek suffered a massive heart attack earlier this week which has left him fighting for his life all over again.
"It was sudden and a shock as he had been doing so well and was in great spirits, looking forward to Christmas at home with the family.
"This setback has been a huge blow for his family and all the people caring for him.
"Kate is by his side 24 hours a day and is willing him on to win this latest battle for his life.
“Derek has fought so many times, and always, against all odds, come out the other side.
“Kate has been utterly incredible — by his side while being an amazing mum to Darcey and Billy, and trying to manage their expectations of a family Christmas.”
Derek spent 13 months in hospital making him Britain’s longest suffering coronavirus victim.
Back in October, Kate - who has daughter Darcy, 17, and son Billy, 14, with Derek - revealed her husband was not doing well and his health battle had left him with long-lasting organ damage and requiring 24/7 care at home.
The 56-year-old broadcaster - who has made two award-winning documentaries on her family’s experience living with the changes in Derek’s health - told Metro.co.uk: “He’s not doing great, to be honest.
“But the battle goes on,” before confirming that she had made steps to secure a private one-to-meeting with the health secretary Steve Barclay.
Kate made a public appeal on the ITV1 breakfast show to the Conservative minister after he was interviewed live on-air by her co-star Susanna Reid, 52, to speak to him on behalf of “millions of people” in situations similar to her own.
She said: “I don’t want to ambush you on air but I have been trying to contact you and I have been trying to contact Helen Whately as well and I haven’t been able to.
“I’d like to come and talk to you – not about Derek by the way, this is not me trying to get something for him.
“This is about representing millions of people across the country who, like me, in one hand feel like they’re holding the life of their loved one and in the other hand punching away at a system and it isn’t about money.
“I’ve got five points and I’d love to meet with you if you would return some of my attempts to contact you.”
The politician responded by telling the ex ‘GMTV’ star that he was “happy” to meet with her.
Steve said: “It’s the first I’ve heard that you’ve been trying to reach out to me, so that message hadn’t got to me.
"I can absolutely confirm that I would be very happy to meet so we will pick this up after the interview and set that meeting up."
The ex ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star recently told the Times newspaper that her husband “can neither breathe in oxygen nor expel carbon dioxide efficiently” after contracting the virus more than three years ago.
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