Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper has returned home after spending more than a year in hospital battling the effects of COVID-19.
Kate Garraway
Derek, 53, was admitted to hospital in March last year after falling ill with coronavirus and was placed in an induced coma where he remained for months after fighting off the virus itself.
But on Thursday (08.04.21), Derek was finally returned home to his wife and two children - daughter Darcey, 15, and son Billy, 11 – although he will require round-the-clock care at the family’s adapted property in North London.
A friend of the family said: “Kate’s dreamt of this day for so long, and can’t thank wonderful NHS staff enough.
“The children, who have been so remarkably resilient, have been so, so happy to have their dad home.
“There have been a lot of happy tears from everyone.
“This past year has given Derek and Kate an absolutely unbreakable bond - she has been such a rock, and a total inspiration to everyone in Britain battling their own horror stories with the pernicious disease.”
Derek’s body is still battling the devastating effects of COVID-19, but he is now regularly responding and has been taken off all machines and breathing apparatus.
The friend added: “The professional medical teams who have been looking after Derek have decided to release him from hospital into 24-hour care at home.
“They noticed that his cognition and consciousness had stalled and, if anything, was going backwards over the last couple of months.
“Even though the doctors and nurses have done an incredible job, necessary Covid restrictions have meant visits from Kate and access to wider therapy have been very limited.”
It’s hoped that moving Derek home will help to “boost his mental health” and give him the motivation he needs to keep fighting.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper, the friend said: “The hope is that by boosting his mental health — which being surrounded by his loved ones clearly will do — Derek’s physical health will be significantly bolstered too.
“They have all been magnificent to get Derek to this point. He still has a very long way to go, and medically they’re taking this a day at a time under strict medical supervision.
“But, unquestionably, this is the start of a whole new chapter for the family. After the hell they’ve been through, the family truly deserve this bit of hope and happiness.”
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