Kate Garraway's husband awakens from three-month battle with coronavirus coma

Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper has opened his eyes for the first time after being hospitalised with coronavirus in March.
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The Good Morning Britain presenter said her husband has now reached a 'minimum state of consciousness', nearly a month after he was brought out of an induced coma in June.

Derek, from Chorley, had been put into an induced coma on April 5, after testing positive for coronavirus, and remained comatose for more than two months.

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He is now COVID-free but his health has been severely damaged by his battle with the disease and he has struggled to regain consciousness.

Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper. Pic credit: Time Ireland/PA WireKate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper. Pic credit: Time Ireland/PA Wire
Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper. Pic credit: Time Ireland/PA Wire

Last month, the presenter revealed she had been warned by doctors that her husband may never fully recover from his battle with coronavirus.

But in an interview with HELLO! magazine, the 53-year-old said doctors are doing everything they can to bring him around and her and the couple's two children, Darcey, 14, and 10-year-old Billy, are staying positive.

"We're keeping positive and doing everything we can to bring him round," said Kate.

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"The children and I communicate with him every day on FaceTime, while a nurse holds his iPad.

"I really believe he can hear. When medical staff say 'Good morning, Derek,' he sometimes opens his eyes.

"We and the doctors are doing everything we can so that he can start to recover."

In an emotional appearance on GMB last month, Kate revealed that Derek had begged to be put into the coma because he was in so much pain.

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She said the last thing he said to her before he was put in the medically-induced coma was "I love you, you saved my life".

Kate is remaining positive about her husband's recovery, but admitted that the coronavirus has inflicted devastating damage on his health.

She added: "The problem is I have huge hope and massive positivity and will never give up on that because Derek is the core of my life, but I have absolute uncertainty and the doctors don’t know because they have never seen this before," she said.

"One doctor said to me he’s the worst affected person he’s had to treat that has lived, thank God he’s lived so far."

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But as Derek continues his long road to recovery, Kate also revealed that she is planning to return to the ITV breakfast show to help bring a sense of normalcy back to her family's life.

Derek, 52, attended Southlands High School in Chorley, where he graduated in 1984, before studying at Runshaw College in Leyland.

You can read Kate's full interview with HELLO! magazine here.

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