Kate Garraway: GMB presenter ‘doesn’t know’ if husband Derek Draper can recover from coronavirus

Kate Garraway has revealed that doctors do not know if her husband, Derek Draper, will recover from coronavirus.

On Friday, the television presenter made an emotional return to Good Morning Britain (GMB) to give an update on the condition of her husband, who was hospitalised with the virus 10 weeks ago.

Speaking to her colleagues Ben Shephard and Ranvir Singh via video link from her garden, Garraway became tearful as she revealed Draper – who is currently in a coma – might not recover despite being free from Covid-19.

“The fight with the virus has been won and he's still here but it's wreaked extraordinary damage on his body and we don't know if he can recover from that,” she said.

"He's still with us and has fought the most extraordinary battle. The fact that he is still here, I am so grateful. Looking at the positives, he is now Covid free, so he is testing negative, so the fight with the virus has been won and he's still here but it's wreaked extraordinary damage on his body and we don't know if he can recover from that.“

Garraway also spoke for the first time about the moment her husband fell ill, revealing that she called GMB’s Dr Hilary Jones for advice after Draper complained of having sinusitis, numbness in his right hand and shortness of breath.

“I rang Dr Hilary (Jones) and tried to get through, he talked to Derek. He said: ‘I think you need to call an ambulance’. I was very scared. He said we need to take him to hospital straightaway,” she explained, adding that paramedics gave her husband an oxygen mask to help him breathe as soon as they arrived before taking him straight to intensive care.

“He said to Darcey and Billy 'you're the best children anyone could ever ask for, look after Mum and be good for her', and went into the ambulance and that was it,” she said.

The mother-of-two went on to say that Draper did not have any underlying health conditions and doctors were unable to explain why the virus had affected him so badly. Eventually, his condition became so severe that he was placed in an induced coma on 5 April.

Garraway revealed that she got the chance to speak to her husband beforehand, adding: ”He just said 'I love you, I'm sorry I have to leave you, it's only for three or four days.'

“I said 'You're going to be fine, this is good, it will allow you to rest', and he said 'You saved my life' because I think he thought I persuaded the doctors to put him in the coma, and he said 'not just the coma, being married to you, the children, you saved my life,' and that was the last time.”

Following her emotional appearance, many of Garraway’s co-presenters and celebrity friends have shared messages of support on social media.

Piers Morgan, Garraway's colleague on the show, tweeted: “Wow. Such a moving, emotional, inspiring interview on GMB with my fabulous friend Kate Garraway about her family's coronavirus turmoil. So proud of you Kate, as Derek would be too. We're all behind you, hoping and praying for a miracle.”

BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire also praised Garraway for speaking “movingly and also positively”.

She tweeted: “Speaking for first time about her husband's serious coronavirus infection, Kate Garraway on GMB speaking movingly and also positively. Derek Draper is 'no longer in an induced coma but his recovery is slow'. Kate says they've been told that recovery could take a year. Poignant”.

Garraway joined her children on Thursday night to continue the Clap for Carers as they thanked the NHS staff looking after her husband, despite the event ending after a 10 week run.

Kate shared a video on Instagram of her whooping and applauding in her kitchen with her children.

She wrote alongside the video: “No official #clapforcarers tonight but we just wanted have our own mini one as our heart felt thanks go on to all fighting to keep Derek with us.”

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