A new ITV documentary is set to document Derek Draper’s final year with his wife Kate Garraway before his passing in January this year.
The former political advisor contracted Covid in March 2020 and suffered severe complications in the ensuing years.
He spent a year in hospital after being placed in a coma, and the virus caused long-lasting damage to his organs. He returned to hospital in December after suffering a cardiac arrest, but died on January 3 aged 56.
The final year of Derek’s life was documented and will be covered in the new documentary Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story, which airs next Tuesday, 26 March.
When asked why he wanted to take part, Derek said: “I want to be heard.”
Good Morning Britain presenter Kate asked her husband what he hoped his “main message” would be (per Metro), to which he replied: “Never give up fighting for what you believe in and for the people you love.”
Kate added that they set out to make the documentary to highlight their family as just one of millions who deal with the challenges of a disability or life-threatening illness, while celebrating “the incredible work of carers, both professional and those who do it out of love”.
Derek and Kate had two children, Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14. The presenter added that “we don’t have to accept just because you become seriously ill or disabled, your life is over”.
The couple married in 2005, and the documentary will also explore how they maintained their bond through the final years of his life and illness.
“You should still be able to have a full life with family and friends to the best of your situation. And we must find a way in 2024 to make this happen.
She added that she feels a “huge responsibility” to “speak up” for those who don’t feel they have a voice.
The new programme comes after the couple’s award-winning documentaries Finding Derek and Caring for Derek.
Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story airs Tuesday, March 26 at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.