Kate Garraway shares importance of self-care while looking after ill husband
Derek Draper is battling the long-term effects of coronavirus.
Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has said she carves out time to “give myself the gift of doing something that only helps me”, while caring for her husband Derek Draper.
A serious case of Covid-19 in March 2020 left the former political adviser with long-lasting damage to his organs and needing daily care.
Garraway said: “I’ve been experimenting with ways to take control of my own happiness. I now deliberately carve out time to give myself the gift of doing something that only helps me.
“It might be only 10 minutes of something physical, such as stretching, pottering in the garden with a mug of tea, or reading something not related to work and I’ve put some fun girls’ nights in the diary with (GMB presenters) Charlotte Hawkins, Ranvir Singh and Susanna Reid.”
She also said that she would “love” to tell people that now Derek is home “everything is easy”.
However, Garraway added: “We keep having emergency setbacks and he’s had to be rushed back into hospital so many times, the fear of him dying has never left us. The unpredictability of his day-to-day condition means we’re living on a rollercoaster.”
She has made documentaries detailing her family’s life as Draper battles the long-term effects of coronavirus, with both programmes winning National Television Awards in the authored documentary category.
She has also brought out several books to help others by describing her experience, including The Power Of Hope: The Moving Memoir From ITV’s Kate Garraway.
Her new book also follows Draper’s health struggle and is called The Strength Of Love: Embracing An Uncertain Future With Resilience And Optimism.
She said: “I can’t promise to have all the answers – my struggle is a work in progress – but in the book I’ve shared what has helped me so far and things that have set me on a happier path.
“I’ve tried to keep things hopeful, but I’ve also written about the darker moments, too.”
Garraway’s husband was at her side in June, despite being in and out of hospital, when she collected her MBE for her services to broadcasting, journalism and charity from the Prince of Wales in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The November 2023 issue of Good Housekeeping is now on sale.
