Kate Garraway's 'tsunami of sadness' over heartbreaking habit that's stuck since husband Derek passed away

Daily Record

a day ago

Kate Garraway, who looked after her husband Derek Draper during his battle with long COVID before his passing in January 2024, has opened up about her grief and urged Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to support unpaid careers
Kate Garraway has spoken about the overwhelming "tsunami of sadness" she feels, often waking in the middle of the night in a panic, fearing she may have forgotten to give her late husband Derek Draper his medicine.
In a heartfelt article, the Good Morning Britain presenter reflected on the "joys and responsibilities" of being a career, following Derek's passing at the age of 56 in January 2024. Derek, a former political lobbyist, endured a lengthy battle with long COVID, during which Kate, now 58, took on the role of his primary carer.
‌
Kate, who has two children with Derek, previously stated in an interview that she held his hands until the very end. In her latest piece, the presenter shared that she is still mourning the loss of her husband, whom she married in 2005, the Mirror reports.
‌
She wrote: "Being a carer, its joys and its responsibilities, stays with you even after you have lost the person. I still wake up in the middle of the night panicking that I haven't given him his medicine, or that I have forgotten to move him every hour to prevent the painful contractions in his limbs.
"The next second I realise he no longer needs that care. There is a moment of relief — that I did not let him down — before a tsunami of sadness hits."
According to a recent report by the non-profit organisation Carers UK, nearly 60 percent of carers find it difficult to look after their own health. The study reveals that four in ten have cancelled medical appointments to prioritise the person they look after, and 1.2 million careers live in poverty - with 400,000 of them in deep poverty.
Kate highlights these figures in her article for The Sun, noting that her own health suffered during Derek's battle with long COVID. In November 2022, she suffered a "heart event" on her way to work for Good Morning Britain and was rushed to hospital.
‌
She also revealed that she may need surgery for her autoimmune thyroid condition.
Kate, who is originally from Oxfordshire, added: "My autoimmune thyroid condition - neglected during Derek's illness - has now worsened significantly. Surgery now looks likely. It could have been avoided.
"During a three-week gap in care, while the system tried to work out which agency should give Derek the life-saving care he needed, I had no choice but to try to get through looking after Derek 24/7 completely alone."
‌
Katie pointed out that unpaid carers save the UK £184billion a year - more than the entire NHS budget. Despite this, the broadcaster argues that far more needs to be done to support them. She urged Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to consider this when delivering today's spending review.
In a direct message to the politician, Kate stated: "Put them at the heart of your plans. Invest in their health, give them real support and recognise the vital role they play."