HE has been in and out of hospital this year but when Derek Draper is at home, he has the perfect place to return to.
Derek’s wife Kate Garraway has completely transformed the home – spending thousands to ensure he is comfortable amidst her latest emotional update on him.
In a new interview, the popular presenter told Lorraine: “It’s been a long battle to get him back home again.”
She also paid an emotional tribute to her co-host and friend Ben, saying he had been “extraordinary” throughout her ordeal.
The star added, in an emotional confession, that she feared her colleagues were “fed up to the back teeth” with her talking about Derek.
Asked by Lorraine how her 55-year-old husband was, Kate said: “Oh, I mean you know, it’s a long onslaught.
“I can see he has better days, he has worse days. He is thankfully at home now. It’s been a long battle to get him back home again.
“I think it’s very tough on him and very tough on the people around me actually. All jokes aside, Ben – for all his unbelievable cheek – has been extraordinary.”
Amongst the changes she has had to make are the addition of a wet room and a lift to help him around the home.
Kate had to make adjustments to the property as Derek has to use a wheelchair while he still recovers from his 12-month Covid ordeal.
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The ground floor lounge has been transformed into his new bedroom, complete with a hospital bed.
Covid has damaged Derek’s body, causing him to lose eight stone and leaving him with holes in his heart and lungs.
But he is now off all machines, though still needs 24/7 care.
During her recent ITV1 documentary, Finding Derek, Kate showed viewers her house as she got it ready for Derek.
She said: “At the moment what we’re doing, we’ve got an occupational therapist that deals with the lay out of the home, looking at putting in a wet room – basically, ground floor living.
“He’ll either be on a stretcher or a wheelchair. And also they’re trying to figure out how to put a lift in the garden.”
She showed viewers a look into her kitchen, with retro style features, a cherub lamp and a microwave.
Lots of things were moved into the space and her youngest, son Billie, 11, was forced to trawl through it all to get to his mum.
A glimpse into the bedroom showed a mirror with a wooden dresser.
The ground floor washroom was still in construction, with a builder laying plaster and a toilet ready for installation.
Ex-spin doctor Derek, 55, is Britain’s longest serving hospital in-patient after contracting the virus.
He suffered significant, and lasting, damage to his organs after being put on a ventilator in intensive care.
It recent weeks it was revealed that he has “suffered damage to his kidneys”, just adding to his ongoing health battle.
Last month Kate, 55, had to take time off Good Morning Britain and her Smooth FM radio show to look after her husband.
She has now returned to both jobs. It later emerged Derek was battling life-threatening sepsis.
Kate has released two documentaries detailing Derek’s fight against the virus.
