How long has Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper been in hospital with Covid-19?

Kate Garraway has opened up on an incredibly tough year for her family as her husband Derek Draper contracted coronavirus for a new ITV documentary.

Derek was hospitalised in 2020 with Covid-19 and has been hospitalised with the virus ever since.

He is now free of the virus, but is still dealing with the long-term effects it has had on his body including kidney failure and liver damage.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, who shares children Billy and Darcey with Derek, has been keeping everyone updated on her husband’s health.

In a recent interview she opened up about Derek’s ‘agony’ as he fought to stay conscious in hospital.

‘Derek is an extreme case, he has a prolonged disorder of consciousness. There was reaction, before Christmas there was progress with words and communication,’ the newsreader said.

‘I feel like I’m on a lifeboat and he keeps coming up, there are moments where he bubbles up and it feels like you have to feel him with positivity or he’s gonna sink down.’

Turning to some of the more hopeful moments the documentary will cover, Kate went on: ‘You will see some of the better moments where he comes up and you see what must be agony for him.

‘Since I’ve known him, his brain has been his best friend, and suddenly it’s no longer his friend and he’s fighting to get out.

Kate has not been able to see him since before Christmas due to changing public health guidelines during the pandemic.

However she recently shared she has been making changes to their house in order to make it wheelchair accessible when he is released.

How long has Derek Draper been in hospital?

Former political adviser Derek, who has been married to Kate since 2005, was admitted to intensive care in March 2020, meaning he has been in hospital for a year.

Doctors put him into a coma to help with recovery, and the radio presenter became emotional recalling his final words to her over the phone.

‘He shouted at me, “I love you, I’m sorry I have to leave you.

‘”You’ve saved my life. I don’t just mean now, I mean everything, being married to you, and the children. You’ve saved my life.”

‘I said, “I love you, I love you,” and the doctors said he’s gone, he’s under. And that was it. That’s the last time I spoke to him.’

He awoke to a minimal state of consciousness in July.

Kate and the children have been communicating with him over FaceTime while a nurse holds an iPad up for Derek in hospital.

Heart wrenching scenes in the film for ITV show Derek in tears when he wakes up after emerging from a deep coma.

The newsreader decided to include footage of him in his hospital bed as she feels her husband would want his story to be told.

Kate Garraway: Finding Derek airs tonight at 9pm on ITV.

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