I fear I’ll run out of money for Derek’s 24hr care, says Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway
KATE Garraway has revealed she’s worried she’ll eventually run out of money to pay for husband Derek Draper’s round-the-clock care.
The 54-year-old made the confession during an appearance on This Morning to talk about her recent documentary, Caring for Derek.
In the film Good Morning Britain host Kate is seen adapting to their new way of life, after Derek, 54, spent over a year in hospital after catching Covid in March 2020.
Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, Kate praised the full-time carers who are helping her with Derek’s needs.
Holly said: “That’s what what really struck me about it is the amount of care he needs. Like this is around the clock isn’t it?”
Kate replied: “Yeah and because of his extreme health needs, he does have 24 hour care so somebody has to be awake at night and somebody has to be awake during the day and I can’t be awake 24 hours so it’s fantastic to have that.”
Phil then referenced Kate and Derek’s trip to Mexico to see a specialist doctor, and she continued: “That came at a really low point when I thought, ‘oh god, this is not sustainable’.
“The system, I mean I don’t believe we can have 24 hour care forever, you know there’s a point where money runs out!
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“It’s a big moment, I was thinking, ‘this isn’t sustainable’ and if there isn’t the structure there to help long term, what are we actually going to do? Because we can’t give up on him.”
Following his time in hospital – during which he was placed into an induced coma – Derek is still very ill after suffering organ failure and clots on his lung.
But Kate is yet to have an agreed diagnosis on precisely what Covid did to Derek’s brain and body because experts still don’t fully understand the long-term effects of the virus.
He may never be able to walk again because the tendons and muscles in his legs have seized up from having been in an induced coma for so long.