Kate Garraway has revealed there have been “moments of reaction” from her husband Derek Draper since his return home.
Derek was in hospital for a year after being admitted with coronavirus in March 2020, with the illness causing serious damage to his body.
Speaking on Thursday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Kate said it had been “wonderful” having Derek home, where he is now receiving home care.
“There are lots of little positives,” Kate said. “There are little moments of reaction and he actually said something the other day.
“I walked in the other morning… and he said, ‘New dress?’, which was just amazing. And it was, actually!
“It was amazing on so many levels because he recognised it [and] he realised and remembered that I need a lot of flattery, so there was some emotional connection there!
“It was just a little moment and then, of course, there was nothing.”
Kate added it was unclear whether the “positives” were because being at home was “genuinely helping his cognition” or “because I’m there to see the little things”, with most of their communication being over Facetime during Derek’s hospital stay.
Derek has been taken off all machines and breathing apparatus but receives care at home, which Kate adapted in his absence to make it more accessible.
During an emotional interview on Good Morning Britain two weeks ago, Kate described the moment Derek arrived home.
“As we came home I could see two little faces of [the couple’s children] Darcey and Billy at the window and they sort of ran to the door and he immediately burst into tears and there was a lot of hugging,” Kate said.
“We got him inside and he absolutely knew he was home. He is responding all the time. What he’s not able to do is talk and say ‘why the hell is the place such a mess?’ It’s not like that but he is absolutely responding and aware.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
Derek was in hospital for a year after being admitted with coronavirus in March 2020, with the illness causing serious damage to his body.
Speaking on Thursday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Kate said it had been “wonderful” having Derek home, where he is now receiving home care.
'It's been wonderful having Derek home...There have been lots of little positives.'@Kategarraway shares an update on husband Derek Draper as she recalls the moment he made a comment about her new dress.pic.twitter.com/yCk9KhYSlf
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 22, 2021
“There are lots of little positives,” Kate said. “There are little moments of reaction and he actually said something the other day.
“I walked in the other morning… and he said, ‘New dress?’, which was just amazing. And it was, actually!
“It was amazing on so many levels because he recognised it [and] he realised and remembered that I need a lot of flattery, so there was some emotional connection there!
“It was just a little moment and then, of course, there was nothing.”
Kate added it was unclear whether the “positives” were because being at home was “genuinely helping his cognition” or “because I’m there to see the little things”, with most of their communication being over Facetime during Derek’s hospital stay.
Derek has been taken off all machines and breathing apparatus but receives care at home, which Kate adapted in his absence to make it more accessible.
During an emotional interview on Good Morning Britain two weeks ago, Kate described the moment Derek arrived home.
“As we came home I could see two little faces of [the couple’s children] Darcey and Billy at the window and they sort of ran to the door and he immediately burst into tears and there was a lot of hugging,” Kate said.
“We got him inside and he absolutely knew he was home. He is responding all the time. What he’s not able to do is talk and say ‘why the hell is the place such a mess?’ It’s not like that but he is absolutely responding and aware.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
