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Kate ‘staying brave’ after
Star’s bedside vigil after husband Derek suffers heart attack
She faced a Christmas nightmare when her husband Derek Draper had a life-threatening heart attack in December. And now a source tells Bella that Kate Garraway has been trying to keep as positive as possible for her family, despite a month of hell, while remaining at Derek’s bedside in hospital.
The source said, “The last few weeks have been hellish for Kate. She came very close to losing Derek so it’s been an incredibly traumatic time for Kate, for the children and for all of their family and friends.
“It obviously had a huge impact on Christmas. But, even so, Kate tried to make it as happy as it could be for Derek and for the kids as well. Her family is what keeps her strong and she’s determined to stay brave for them, keeping calm and carrying on as much as she can.”
Former political advisor Derek’s recent health scare was just the latest in what has been a difficult few years for Kate. After spending months in an induced coma and over a year in hospital after contracting COVID in 2020, the effects of the virus have left Derek “trapped” in his own body and needing around-the-clock support – with doctors claiming he has been one of the “worst affected living patients” in the world. The GMB presenter – who shares daughter Darcey, 17, and son Billy, 14, with Derek – is his carer and has opened up on her heartbreaking experience with an NTA-award winning documentary Finding Derek, as well as her books The Power Of Hope and The Strength Of Love.
But before this cruel new setback, Kate had been feeling positive in 2023. Derek’s condition had remained fairly stable, with the couple even enjoying a date night to The O2 in April to see Elton John. There had also been a trip to Mexico for “potentially life-saving treatment”.
In late November, just weeks before his heart attack, Kate said, “Every day we wait and see. There isn’t a dramatic
