Derek Draper has just one request for Kate Garraway and his children before he slipped into a coma.
The former political advisor and psychotherapist died on January 3 at the age of 56, having suffered severe health complications as a result of contracting coronavirus in March 2020. Derek's condition took a turn for the worse in early December, when a cardiac arrest left him in a critical condition. He died surrounded by loved ones, with broadcaster Kate holding his hand until the end.
Throughout Derek's illness, he and his devoted wife Kate helped shed light on the devastating effects of long Covid, opening up about their ordeal in critically acclaimed ITV documentary Finding Derek, which illustrated how drastically their lives had changed. Now grieving Kate, 56, will speak out about Derek's agonising final years in new ITV doc, Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, set to air at 9pm this evening (Tuesday, March 26).
Devoted wife Kate Garraway held Derek's hand in his final hours (James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Derek had one final selfless request for his family (PA)She previously told how, while sitting in the ambulance with an oxygen mask on before being rushed to hospital, he spoke to his family one last time, expressing one final selfless request. According to Kate, proud dad Derek told Darcey and Billy: "You're the best children anyone could ask for. Look after mum, be good for her." This would be the last time Derek saw his two children before going into a coma.
In an interview with Good Morning Britain back in February, Kate praised her teenage children for the 'beautiful' way they handled their final moments with their dying dad. Kate recalled: "It was one of those stop-the-clock moments, where you want the world to stop. It swamps you. We now have 24 hours, [which] turned out to be more of a month, of fighting on and fighting on, following the prognosis that he won't make it through. For the children when they heard he won't make it through, they've heard it so many times.
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Derek pictured with Darcey and Billy in happier times (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)She continued: "They were so beautiful, the children, about that. They individually had time with him on his own and Darcey said, 'If, dad, you can't do this, it's okay. Don't worry about us'. And I had similar conversations, a chance to hold his hand and smell his skin and hold him all the way through, and some people don't get that.
"It's a comfort to know he's free from pain. We have to pick ourselves up and go on and that's what Derek did and that's what we will do." In tonight's documentary, Kate will share her personal insight into Derek's final year, and the challenges they faced as a family, with a wider look at the practical difficulties faced by those living with serious illnesses.
You can catch Kate Garraway: Derek's Story at 9 pm, Tuesday, March 26 on ITV1.
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