Kate Garraway has revealed that husband Derek is still finding it very difficult to communicate, more than two years after he first contracted coronavirus.
It was right at the start of the first national lockdown that former political aide Derek was struck down by coronavirus, with incredibly worrying times or him, Kate and the couple's two children as he was taken into hospital and then put in a medically induced coma as his condition took a turn for the worse. Derek remained in hospital for months as Kate and their family, unable to see him due to tough restrictions, willed him to get better.
Derek was eventually allowed to return home last spring, a year after first going into hospital, but he still faces a long road to recovery, with Kate giving regular updates on his health on Good Morning Britain and ITV documentaries Finding Derek and Caring for Derek, which both offered candid updates on how her family have handled an incredibly tough two years.
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And presente r Kate offered a fresh update on how Derek was doing when she and co-host Richard Madeley were joined by The Bill legend Chris Ellison on GMB. Chris, famous for playing Burnside in the iconic cop drama, is suffering from aphasia - the same speech-debilitating condition Bruce Willis was recently revealed to be living with.
Aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the portions of the brain that are responsible for language production or processing and, upon hearing how it had affected Chris and his and wife Anita's relationship, Kate revealed that husband Derek often finds it difficult to communicate, as he continues to live with the aftermath of having one of the most severe infections of any Covid survivor. She told Chris and Anita: "In a sense Derek – because of Covid – has a version of this where he can understand, sometimes do odd words, but can't express himself.
"It's very interesting what you say Anita about the loneliness of that because you've lost that relationship and that ability for others to see your partner." Last year, Kate revealed she had the 'best birthday present ever,' when Derek wished her happy birthday, reducing her to tears with his message.
Kate got emotional as she spoke about the breakthrough to ITV colleague Lorraine Kelly, saying: "It's happy tears and, not to be technical about it, that is massive. Obviously it's wonderful that he said 'happy birthday' because that's what I want to hear but, also, we're looking for things he can hold.
"So I told him that the night before, I had to prompt him a little bit, but he held that idea that it was my birthday and then managed to connect it and repeat it back. Signs like that are just fantastic."
