Kate Garraway’s husband has returned home following a year long hospital stay

Last month, ITV aired the documentary Finding Derek which explored his illness and the impact on his family (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Last month, ITV aired the documentary Finding Derek which explored his illness and the impact on his family (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Last month, ITV aired the documentary Finding Derek which explored his illness and the impact on his family (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Kate Garraway’s husband, Derek Draper, has reportedly returned home after spending more than a year in hospital being treated for coronavirus.

Draper, 53, had been admitted to hospital in March 2020 with Covid-19 symptoms before being placed in a coma.

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According to The Sun, he was driven to the couple’s north London home via ambulance on Wednesday.

The former political advisor has been taken off all machines and breathing apparatus, but he will continue to receive 24 hour care at home, which Garraway has adapted in his absence in order to make it more accessible.

Finding Derek

Last month, ITV broadcast Finding Derek, a documentary which explored Draper’s illness and the effect it had on their two children.

It detailed their experiences during his illness and also featured Garraway speaking to people suffering from long Covid, NHS staff and other experts.

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In one scene, Garraway recalled being told by Draper’s doctors that he was the most seriously ill person they had seen who remained alive.

In another point in the documentary, Garraway can be seen preparing for his possible return home by making the property more wheelchair accessible.

‘Give up work to care for him’

In the documentary, Garraway tells their son Bill: “You know that we are hoping that dad will get better and better, but when he comes home he will probably need to be in a wheelchair, so we are trying to make it so he can do all this.

“And if I have to give up work to care for him then it is best to do it now when I am earning money.

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“If he needs 24-hour care I will be the primary carer. I have a fear of the reality of that life.”

She suggested their marriage would have “a completely different dynamic” when Draper is able to leave the hospital.

The documentary attracted 4.5 million viewers and was ITV’s biggest single documentary audience since The Queen’s Green Planet, featuring the Queen and Sir David Attenborough, in 2018.

The Power of Hope

Additionally, Garraway is also publishing a book, called The Power of Hope, which details “the raw and emotional story” of her husband’s illness.

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The Good Morning Britain host said: “While my experience of Covid is an extreme and extraordinary one, I am only too aware that this virus has impacted every single one of us.

“We are all going through this, to a greater or lesser degree.

“By telling the story of Derek’s illness and how it has altered our lives, I hope to be able to reach out to others who are suffering.

“If writing about my experience of facing fear, coping day to day with an uncertain future and finding strength for the sake of my kids can in some way help another who is feeling lost or in despair, it will mean a lot.”

During the first lockdown, she posted weekly updates on Draper’s condition to coincide with the weekly Clap for Carers.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site National World 

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