On this World Mental Health Day, Kate Garraway has written an open letter on her experience taking care of her husband, Derek Draper. On Monday, the Good Morning Britain host posted an Instagram video of herself chatting with the camera (October 10).
Derek’s catching coronavirus in 2020 had, as many people know, had lasting ramifications. It is thought that the former political advisor spent 13 months in hospital between March 2020 and April 2021, making him the worst-affected live Covid patient in the UK.
The father of two has returned home and is being cared for around the clock, but he is unable to talk properly, has trouble moving about, and is in constant pain. Since Derek’s illness, Kate has juggled a job and family responsibilities, including taking care of their children, Darcey, 16, and Billy, 12.
Kate Garraway’s interview with the camera crew occurred the day before the National Television Awards were given out. She was nominated for an award at the upcoming TV bash, and she claimed that she felt “guilty” for “asking for more” from the people.
She began, “So I haven’t chatted to you all in a while, and I haven’t mentioned at all about the amazing nomination which I am so happy for, for Caring for Derek the documentary for a National Television Award.
“I’m incredibly appreciative to everyone who cast a vote and absolutely ecstatic with where we’ve gotten to this point. But I haven’t told you because I’ve been torn on how to approach the topic, especially because I’ve received so much love and support from everyone in my life. And I felt guilty for wanting more. But then other caregiver support groups reached out to me and said “no you must.””
Moreover, she said “Because we wanted to shed focus on the plight of caregivers, both paid professionals and those doing it out of the goodness of their hearts after discovering, like me, that a loved one need care. It’s very, very difficult, but you don’t mind doing it.”
In the same video, Kate added: “It’s important to bring attention to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, and the documentary gave you a glimpse of my frustration, depression, and emotions on today’s mental health awareness day.
For the past few weeks, months, and even longer, I have been all of those things and more. It’s true that caring is never-ending and never-easy, but that’s only because you want it to be way, for the sake of the person you care about.”
She wrote in the post’s caption: “Thanks to your votes, our documentary Caring for Derek has been nominated for a #NTAAWARD, which will be announced this Thursday.
Although Derek and I filmed the video to shed attention on the difficulties and joys of caregiving, neither our situation nor that of the millions of other carers in the United Kingdom has improved after its release.
“According to data compiled by @carersfirst, “more than 93% of people claim they can’t sleep because they are so worried about the future due to the effects of the economic crisis on their lives.”
“I have been reflecting on the struggles that many people face in light of #worldmentalhealthday. You can still catch #caringforderek on the @itv hub if you haven’t already. The link to vote is in my bio; those who care for people with chronic illnesses or those who have suffered from long-term illness themselves would be deeply appreciative.”
Kate appeared to update viewers on her husband during last week’s episode of ITV’s DNA Journey, in which she and Alison Hammond researched their family tree.
When asked, she remarked “There was a lot of death and destruction in 2020. Derek fell ill early on in the epidemic and has been severely impaired ever since.
That is fairly well documented, as he has come to symbolize the struggle for many.”