Kate Garraway: "My struggle is a work in progress"

More than three years on from her husband, Derek Draper, being struck down by Covid, much has changed in Kate Garraway’s life, but one thing remains unaltered: her determination.

Having left hospital in April 2021, Derek still needs round-the-clock care and frequent setbacks to his recovery mean he is often rushed back on to the wards. However, Kate, 56, is intent on seeing the positives.

In an exclusive interview in Good Housekeeping's November issue, Kate opened up about where they're at with Derek's recovery and what the past few years have taught her.

'I’d love to be able to tell you that, since Derek has been home, everything has been easy, that the miracle of him being at home has turned the day-to-day challenges into a breeze,' she says.

'But because we keep having emergency setbacks and he’s had to be rushed back into hospital so many times, the fear of him dying has never left us. The unpredictability of his day-to-day condition means we’re living on a rollercoaster.'

Kate has poured her learnings from the past few years into a new book, The Strength Of Love, which she hopes will help others going through hardships.

'I can’t promise to have all the answers – my struggle is a work in progress – but in the book, I’ve shared what has helped me so far and things that have set me on a happier path,' she says.

'I’ve tried to keep things hopeful, but I’ve also written about the darker moments, too.'

Determined to make new memories with Derek and their children, Darcey, 17, and Billy, 14, Kate shared the happier moments they've enjoyed during the course of her husband's recovery.

'When Derek was in a coma, I played music down the phone to him, including lots of Elton John. So, when we managed to get Derek to see him live at the O2, it felt like a miracle,' she says.

'As he’s trapped in bed and at home for days on end, being able to do something like that energised him, even if just for the few hours he was there.'

As Derek's recovery continues, Kate revealed that she's learning new ways to carve out time for herself.

'I’ve been experimenting with ways to take control of my own happiness. I now deliberately carve out time to give myself the gift of doing something that only helps me,' she says.

'It might be only 10 minutes of something physical, such as stretching, pottering in the garden with a mug of tea, or reading something not related to work. And I’ve put some fun girls’ nights in the diary with Charlotte Hawkins, Ranvir Singh and Susanna Reid.'

The Strength Of Love: Embracing An Uncertain Future With Resilience and Optimism (Blink Publishing) by Kate Garraway is out now.

Read the full interview with Kate Garraway in the November 2023 issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale 28th September. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.