Kate Garraway shares emotional moment with wife of man who, like Derek, remains in hospital

Kate Garraway shared an emotional moment with the wife of a man who’s health has been devastated by Covid and who, like her husband Derek Draper, has also been in hospital for a year. 

Twins Bobby and Steve Laviniere, 57, who are both DJs from Redbridge in East London, contracted the virus on March 7th last year after playing a gig in Madrid and were both put on ventilators. 

While Bobby was taken off the ventilator after seven days and took two months to recover from the virus, Steve remains suffered multiple organ failure and inflammation of the brain and remains in hospital. One of Britain’s longest-running Covid patients, He’s unable to speak and the possibility of a full recovery remains uncertain. 

In Tuesday’s ITV documentary, Finding Derek, which recounts Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper’s ongoing fight to recover from Covid, the Good Morning Britain presenter is seen chatting to Julie, Steve’s wife, on Zoom about how their lives have been torn apart by the virus.  

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Julie, the wife of twin Steve Laviniere, who’s been in hospital for a year after contracting Covid, appeared on Zoom to chat with Kate Garraway in her ITV programme Finding Derek to discuss how their lives have been torn apart by Covid

Twins Bobby and Steve Laviniere, 57, (pictured left and right) who are both DJs, contracted the virus in March last year and were both put on ventilators. While Bobby recovered, Steve remains in hospital a year on

Steve with his wife Julie before he fell ill

Twins Bobby and Steve Laviniere, 57, (pictured left and right) who are both DJs, contracted the virus in March last year and were both put on ventilators. While Bobby recovered, Steve remains in hospital a year on. Right: Steve with his wife Julie before he fell ill

The star also interviewed Steve's twin Bobby, 57, and his wife Sylma. In a heartbreaking moment, he told Kate and his wife's brother 'you'll both have your husbands back soon.'

The star also interviewed Steve’s twin Bobby, 57, and his wife Sylma. In a heartbreaking moment, he told Kate and his wife’s brother ‘you’ll both have your husbands back soon.’

The star also interviewed Bobby and his wife Sylma about the ‘lottery’ that is Covid and the two very different health outcomes for the brothers. 

In November, the family marked the twins 57th birthday at Steve’s bedside and faced a similar Christmas 

In a heartbreaking moment, Bobby told Kate and his wife’s brother ‘you’ll both have your husbands back soon.’

Steve’s wife Julie explained how her husband was put into an induced coma in an intensive care unit after struggling to fight the virus. 

One year on, he remains unable to speak and the women discussed how difficult the lack of response was to deal with. Kate said seeing Derek, a former lobbyist and political advisor, ‘dead-eyed’ was ‘so hard to take’.

Julie told Kate, 53, that her husband can no longer speak but ‘is making more sounds than before’ and that she’s sure her husband recognises her. 

She said that she’s fearful of adapting the family home, saying: ‘I thought “I can’t have anything done on the house or he might not recognise it”‘. 

Kate said that seeing Derek 'dead-eyed' was 'so hard to take' as she discussed her husband's recovery with Julie

Kate said that seeing Derek ‘dead-eyed’ was ‘so hard to take’ as she discussed her husband’s recovery with Julie

An animated Kate replied: ‘That is literally the conversation that I’ve had’ saying she’d taken pictures of where Derek had left his hats because she didn’t ‘want to move them’. 

Speaking to Bobby Laviniere and his wife Sylma, Bobby told the GMB presenter that it took him seven weeks to fully recover from the virus, after he spent a week on a ventilator last March. 

A tearful Bobby, who is a DJ act called Groove Odyssey with his brother, said without any medication to ‘fix’ Covid, ‘the only medication for us is love.’ 

The GMB star chatting from her living room with Bobby Laviniere and his wife Sylma

The GMB star chatting from her living room with Bobby Laviniere and his wife Sylma

During the programme, Kate admitted that she might have to ‘fall in love again’ with Derek Draper while she later comforted her sobbing husband who said he wanted to ‘die’ during her emotional documentary Finding Derek.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, filmed every step of Derek’s year long battle with COVID-19 following his hospitalisation with the respiratory illness in March 2020 with the fly-on-the-wall programme aired on Tuesday.

Kate Garraway admitted that she might have to 'fall in love again' with Derek Draper while she later comforted her sobbing husband who said he wanted to 'die' during her emotional documentary Finding Derek

Kate Garraway admitted that she might have to ‘fall in love again’ with Derek Draper while she later comforted her sobbing husband who said he wanted to ‘die’ during her emotional documentary Finding Derek

A tearful Bobby, who is a DJ act called Groove Odyssey with his brother, said without any medication to 'fix' Covid, 'the only medication for us is love.'

 A tearful Bobby, who is a DJ act called Groove Odyssey with his brother, said without any medication to ‘fix’ Covid, ‘the only medication for us is love.’

In an emotional ending, it showed a sweet recent FaceTime between Derek and Kate where he said: 'Thank you, I love you forever and a day,' to which Kate replied: 'Oh darling, I love you.'

In an emotional ending, it showed a sweet recent FaceTime between Derek and Kate where he said: ‘Thank you, I love you forever and a day,’ to which Kate replied: ‘Oh darling, I love you.’

During the emotional hour-long documentary, Kate planned for an uncertain future with Derek as she admitted: ‘There’s been times where I’ve thought: “Am I actually grieving for the person I’m married to or am I fighting to hold onto that person?”‘

While later, in a heartbreaking video call with her husband in November, Derek broke down in tears and said he wanted to ‘die’ to which Kate insisted: ‘I promised you I will save you and I’m going to save you.’

The documentary, filmed at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, focused on Derek’s plight after falling gravely ill with the virus and Kate’s desperate battle to care for her husband while planning for an uncertain future.

Later during the documentary, a heartbreaking moment filmed in November saw Kate speak to husband Derek over FaceTime where he broke down in tears and said he wants his life to end.

Kate said: ‘In many ways Derek is showing signs of improvement, but his mental state is worryingly unpredictable.’

During an emotional video call in November, the former lobbyist and political advisor said: ‘There’s no way out…’ to which Kate replied: ‘What do you mean, there’s no way out of what?’

Derek added: ‘I’m at the point, f**k it, just f**k it’ with Kate asking: ‘As in die? No, no,’ to which her husband emotionally admitted: ‘Yes.’

With Derek adding: ‘I don’t know how to cope, I don’t know how to cope.’  

DEREK DRAPER’S COVID BATTLE 

March 30, 2020: Derek is admitted to a London hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, little more than a week after Britain enters its first national lockdown

April 3, 2020: Derek is admitted to intensive care four days after his hospitalisation. As his condition steadily worsens, he falls into a coma.  

May 28, 2020: Kate reveals that Derek remains in a coma and is continuing to be cared for by NHS professionals.  

June 5, 2020: The presenter tells Good Morning Britain viewers that Derek is “Covid free”, although the family are unsure if he will ever recover from the ravages of the illness. 

July 5, 2020: Kate reveals that Derek has finally woken from his coma and has opened his eyes – her first communication with her husband since March  

July 13, 2020: Kate resumes her presenting role on Good Morning Britain after taking time off amid Derek’s ongoing illness. 

July 14, 2020: Kate tells viewers she is preparing to visit Derek in hospital for the first time.  

July 21, 2020: Derek hears Kate’s voice after nurses play Good Morning Britain in his hospital room. During her appearance on the show Kate confirms she is preparing to visit him for a second time.     

August 19, 2020: After being absent for three days Kate tells viewers she has tried not to break down after being kept apart from Derek on his 53rd birthday.  

September 10, 2020: Kate and Derek remain apart during their milestone 15th Wedding Anniversary , with the presenter unable to visit her husband. 

September 11, 2020: Kate reveals Derek is still unable to speak but admits plans to visit him in hospital for a belated anniversary celebration.  

September 29, 2020: Derek’s six-month long battle against COVID-19 becomes one of the longest known cases in the United Kingdom.  

October 30, 2020: Derek is finally able to communicate verbally after 214 days in hospital. His first word – “pain.”  

January 7, 2021: Kate reveals her two children saw Derek for the first time since he fell ill during the Christmas period 

 

In an emotional ending to the programme, it showed a sweet recent FaceTime between Derek and Kate where he said: ‘Thank you, I love you forever and a day,’ to which Kate replied: ‘Oh darling, I love you.’

Myleene Klass led the stars praising Kate on Tuesday night after her ‘heartbreaking’ documentary Finding Derek.

Taking to Twitter after the documentary, Myleene praised her ‘courageous’ friend Kate while fellow stars Piers Morgan, Alison Hammond and Charlotte Hawkins shared their support for the presenter.

Myleene, who has spoke about her close friendship with the star and threw a garden party for Kate’s son Billy, 11, over the summer, tweeted: ‘Thinking of my lovely friend @kategarraway tonight with her documentary #FindingDerek on @ITV at 9pm.

‘It’s so heartbreaking, we’re all just praying Derek will find a way back. Please watch & send love to Kate & her family.’