Kate Garraway shares moving message in husband Derek Draper’s hospital ward

Kate Garraway shared a poignant message written on a whiteboard in husband Derek Draper’s hospital ward.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, admitted that the sign, which encouraged those passing by to ‘keep fighting’, had particularly moved her during her visit on Sunday, so much so that she wanted to share it via Instagram.

The heartfelt message said: ‘To all beautiful/handsome creatures this is for you… Don’t give up on this year. Keep fighting for the good. Keep showing up. 

‘Keep loving. Keep giving back. Keep being kind. Keep being brave. Keep on caring. Keep trying new things. Keep showing grace.  

‘Keep on. The world needs you to believe in the good. 2021 is coming… hold on… smile.’

After reading the message, Kate admitted: ‘Written on a white board on Derek’s ward to spur on staff and patients – not sure if have walked passed it before or its new, but definitely spoke to me today. 

‘Wonderful words as we brace ourselves for another week in these grim times- see you from 6 a.m on @gmb with a smile’

Earlier this month, Kate said she wanted to show lockdown rule-breakers a picture of her husband Derek ‘in his current state’ as he continues to battle COVID-19. 

Visibly fighting back tears, she revealed her husband’s parents had been unable to visit the former lobbyist, 53, since he was hospitalised on March 29, and urged viewers to maintain government guidelines.

In a stark warning to those flouting the rules, Kate said: ‘You don’t want this in your life. You don’t know who it will affect and how.’

The daytime television star’s words of warning come amid reports Derek’s battle with coronavirus has become the ‘longest in the UK,’ after spending 184 days in and out of intensive care. 

An emotional Kate urged viewers to keep following the guidelines, after host Susanna Reid asked for her feelings on the nation’s growing fatigue towards masks and social distancing. 

She said: ‘I have huge sympathy with people who are fed up with it. 

‘I think if you haven’t been directly touched by it, you haven’t seen the devastation, your life has been devastated, your livelihood, your ability to feel a sense of joy, you’re going to get frustrated.

‘It does make me tempted to show a picture of Derek in his current state and say “You don’t want this in your life. You don’t know who it will affect and how”. So stick to it.’

‘There’s huge confusion around it, but we kind of know wearing a mask, social distancing, we know the basics, and we have to do our best in the muddle.’ 

‘There are so many shades of grey. If we stick to basics we can hopefully get through it.’   

Struggling to fight back tears, Kate then added: ‘Derek’s mum and dad haven’t been able to see Derek. 

‘If they can go six months without giving a hug to their son, who’s so desperately ill, the rest of us can probably get through.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to depress everybody. That’s the reality of getting caught up in the virus directly.’ 

The discussion came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s father Stanley was pictured shopping without a face covering, and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was revealed to have attended a dinner party with nine guests, more than the legal limit.  

Lorraine Kelly also threw her support behind Kate as she lambasted anti-lockdown protesters as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘irresponsible.’

She said: ‘I was fuming at the weekend! The protests! I absolutely would love to take these people by the hand and show them the reality [of COVID-19]!’

‘Wouldn’t you like our Kate Garraway to have a wee word with [the protesters] and tell them about the hell she’s been living through with her husband!’ Lorraine hissed. ‘It’s absolutely ridiculous and totally irresponsible!’

It was recently reported that Kate’s husband Derek has become the longest surviving patient with coronavirus, after spending 184 days in and out of intensive care.

The former lobbyist was first hospitalised with the disease on March 29, he was on a ventilator and put in an induced coma shortly thereafter before he was woken up in July, but progress is said to be ‘very slow.’

According to a report from The Sun on Monday, Derek is one of ‘only a handful’ of people to be in hospital for six months with coronavirus. 

A source speaking to the publication claimed: ‘Kate has been so brave and her strength is awe-inspiring. But the truth is that progress is very, very slow. 

‘Derek has now been hospitalised for six months which makes him one of only a handful of people who have been in hospital for this long.

‘It’s incredibly tough for Kate though because some days he shows signs of improvement, and then 24 hours later he has taken a worrying turn for the worse. It’s literally one step forward, two steps back.’ 

The source went on to claim that Kate is thankful Derek is ‘still here’ as it means she has hope he will pull through after so many have lose their loved ones.

Derek was hospitalised after suffering serious complications from Covid-19 and has remained in intensive care ever since, in a minimally conscious state from which no one knows if he will ever recover. 

Speaking to the Mail On Sunday’s YOU magazine about the family’s ordeal earlier this month, Kate revealed doctors had warned her Derek wouldn’t survive, and expressed her shock at seeing his appearance as his ‘worn-out and thin’ body struggled to fight the virus.

Derek, who she revealed has lost eight stone during the battle, is one of an estimated just five people in the world whose bodies have been damaged so much by Covid.

Kate recalled: ‘Doctors were saying, “He’s not going to make it.’Unable to breathe, he was put into a medical coma to give his lungs a rest. Before he went under, he called Kate and said, “I love you, you’ve saved my life.” 

For several weeks, the family’s only contact with Derek was through hospital staff, so when Kate first saw her husband, she found him unrecognisable.

Kate recalled: ‘When I finally got to FaceTime him, seeing him unconscious was a big shock.

‘He’s lost nearly eight stone in weight, a lot of it muscle throughout his body. He looked worn-out, thin and pale with dark circles under his eyes and there were lots of tubes.’    

In July Derek emerged from his deep coma and started showing some signs of consciousness, occasionally opening his eyes.

Only a few weeks ago, Kate was finally allowed to visit Derek in hospital. Coronavirus precautions mean the children and Derek’s parents haven’t been able to yet.

Kate and Derek married in 2005, and share daughter Darcey, 14, and son Billy, 11.

Earlier this year, Kate took a break from work in order to look after their children in lockdown and be there for Derek, but has since returned to Good Morning Britain, and her mid-morning slot on Smooth Radio.