Kate Garraway reflects on ‘many, very dark hours’ amid husband Derek’s Covid battle as she thanks the nurses
KATE Garraway has reflected on “many, very dark hours” as she thanked the nurses who have helped her husband Derek during his Covid battle.
The TV presenter, 54, said she believes it was the nurses “incredible care” that “hauled Derek back from the frightening place he was in”, as she discussed their work to mark International Nurses Day.
Chatting to Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston on Heart today, she told listeners: “I often think, don’t you, we all go “that doctor who saved my life”, “thank you to that incredible surgeon”.
” But as I’ve seen over the last 14 months, it’s actually the care of nurses that – especially when you’re dealing with something like COVID where there is no cure, and not enough is yet known about how to treat the symptoms although I’m sure medical profession will get there – it’s their incredible care that has saved Derek’s life. It’s that simple.”
She went on to say how she was previously “ignorant” about the work nurses do but their “wide spectrum” of talents was really seen while Derek was in hospital for over a year.
Kate explained: “With Derek for a lot of his time, he was in a Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness so effectively a coma, and everyday the nurses would go in, of course we couldn’t, his family couldn’t, and they would go in and I just thought it was miraculous because they would say, “good morning Derek how are you this morning”.
“And if you think about having to exude love out of yourself to someone who is unconscious, not responsive, not able to say thank you, not able to acknowledge it, they did it continuously, relentlessly and that must have been what was a big part of trying to haul Derek from this frightening place he was in.”
The Good Morning Britain says it was their work and compassion that gave her the hope to carry on.
Overcome with emotion, she continued: “Well, it was a turning point for me watching them talk to Derek, because finding joy right now for everybody, which is why today’s so important, is so hard, and I was struggling to hang onto hope, whilst also thinking ‘am I just being unrealistic?’
“But when I watched them pouring love and skill into Derek, every single day, and even though they had no idea whether it was going to work, they had no idea whether they could win the war against COVID and they also are putting their own lives at risk by exposing themselves to COVID, I just thought that’s just the definition of hope, it makes me want to cry now.”
After the interview, Kate told her followers: “In my book #thepowerofhope (available now as an audiobook too
) I talk about how much their spirit and skill gave me hope in many very dark hours & I know they do the same everyday for millions of others. We salute you #nurses .”
Derek currently needs 24-hour care after leaving hospital following his year-long fight back to health from coronavirus.