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Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper finally returns home after over a year in hospital with coronavirus
Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper has finally been allowed to return home after spending over a year in hospital.
Derek, 53, had been one of the worst-affected coronavirus patients to survive, and is now off all machines but will still receive round-the-clock care at the family’s home in North London which has been extensively adapted for his needs.
A friend of the Good Morning Britain host told The Sun: ‘Kate’s dreamt of this day for so long, and can’t thank wonderful NHS staff enough.’
The family have been warned that Derek’s recovery will be ‘long and gruelling’, but the couple’s children – Darcey, 15, and Billy, 11 – cried tears of joy to finally be reunited with their father.
Kate had even discussed leaving work to care for Derek full-time at home if needed, and had previously been warned he may have to remain in hospital until December.
The source added: ‘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.’
The family had faced a very difficult year, often having to go months without being able to visit Derek in person due to lockdown restrictions meaning visiting him in hospital was not allowed.
Medics are now hoping that being at home will help him to continue improving after noticing that ‘his cognition and consciousness had stalled and, if anything, was going backwards over the last couple of months.’
The source added: ‘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.’
Despite being left with a lot of damage to his body, including his kidneys failing, damage to his liver and pancreas, his heart stopping multiple times and being left with holes in his heart as well as bacterial pneumonia and other infections which have left holes in his lungs, Derek has made enough progress for his recovery to continue at home.
The former lobbyist was driven back home via ambulance where it is hoped being around his family will boost his mental health and help him make further breakthroughs in his recovery.
Derek had been admitted to hospital at the end of March 2020 and is confirmed to be Britain’s longest-surviving coronavirus hospital patient.
He had been put into an induced coma to help his body fight the effects of the disease, something which left him in a minimally conscious state when doctors tried to bring him round.
In her recent documentary, Finding Derek, Kate had revealed she had their house adapted to be suitable for his wheelchair and a wet room for showering, and that she would be sleeping downstairs with him where he will have a special hospital bed.
Sources have said that Derek is still struggling to move or speak properly, but the family are hoping that by raising his spirits they will be able to keep him out of hospital for as long as possible.
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