Kate Garraway has shared some of the financial hardships that she has faced due to the high costs of caring for her husband, Derek Draper.
It comes after former political lobbyist Derek, 55 contracted Covid-19 in March 2020, leading to him being hospitalised for 13 months. And last summer Derek - whose body was weakened as a result of his long-term hospital admission - contracted sepsis, leaving him "minutes from death", writes the Mirror.
Good Morning Britain presenter Kate admitted that "costs have gone through the roof in so many ways," since Derek became seriously ill.
Speaking to The Sun, she added that their home has needed to be adapted to suit Derek’s needs, and that her working life has been impacted as a result of her husband’s illness.
The TV presenter revealed that she has spent tens of thousands of pounds remodelling their home. This includes making the entire ground floor accessible for wheelchairs with a downstairs wet room and bedroom, as Derek is unable to walk.
Derek’s additional needs means she has had to take on assistants in order to keep working.
She also said Derek hasn’t received any special treatment off the back of her job.
Kate explained: "Perhaps there is the assumption that because I’m on the telly, and because people have heard so much of Derek’s story - and he has touched so many hearts - that we’ve had special treatment from the NHS or bypassed waiting lists.
She adds that they are still waiting on referrals from almost three years ago, when Derek first contracted Covid-19.
Kate hopes to do an expose on the care system, although she praised "the extraordinary nature of carers" calling them "the absolute bedrock of our health service."
She added: "But the challenges of the system we have now need addressing. I don’t just want to be angry about it, I want to affect change."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
