Kate Garraway has admitted she's still in 'survival mode' following the death of her late husband Derek Draper. The former Labour lobbyist sadly died on January 3 following various health issues.
Derek had became unwell after contracting Covid in March 2020 and never fully recovered. He left behind his wife Kate, who has since returned to work on Good Morning Britain, and two children Darcey and Billy.
Having passed away at the age of 56, he had spent a total of 13 months in hospital after suffering multiple organ failures. The ITV host devotedly continued to care for him around the clock, as she revealed there's around a £800,000 debt bill following his death.
Kate also opened up on the moment she was told Derek had suffered a cardiac arrest before Christmas . The mum-of-two had been mid-flight travelling to collect Derek in Mexico at a brain cell clinic when she got the news.
Doctors attempted to restart his heart whilst she was on the other end of the phone, which they did successfully, according to reports in Manchester Evening News. However he "slipped away" after never regaining consciousness following a flight home to the UK, with Kate and kids at his side.
In a new interview with The Times, Kate opened up on her last interactions with her late husband pointing out his health appeared to be improving. She added: “We were in a very different place, health-wise, from the year before – and it felt like the happiest place.
"We had more of Derek back. We always knew his injuries could take him, but it all felt so positive at that point, it was the furthest from my mind that anything could happen."
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Discussing the financial impact the past four years have had, Kate admitted the care debts are sitting between £500,000 and £800,000. Kate said: "Derek’s needs were clearly so great, yet he didn’t warrant funded care — so you think, 'If he isn’t getting it, then who is?'"
She added: "To be fair to them, no one’s contacted me since he’s passed away to ask for that. They may well still do, but they haven’t as yet. The bigger picture of the further appeals I haven’t addressed yet, because I’m still in survival mode."
Kate is reported to have already owed debts above £700,000 before her late husband's death, following his psychotherapeutic company’s failure, with Kate possessing no legal authority to administer his business affairs when he became unwell.
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