Kate Garrawayis remembering her “darling” husband Derek Draper.
On Friday morning, the British broadcaster announced on Instagram that Draper had died following a December cardiac arrest and long-lastingCOVID-19complications.
Kate Garraway and Derek Draper in April 2009.Jon Furniss/WireImage
Jon Furniss/WireImage
Garraway and Draper wed in 2005 and they share two children, 17-year-old Darcey and 13-year-old William, perThe Guardian.
In her latest post, Garraway wrote that she will share more about her husband in “due course,” as she extended her thanks to “the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible.”
In aJune 2020 interview, the newscaster revealed that Draper’s fight with the virus “has been won,” but that it “wreaked extraordinary damage on his body” after he was put in a medically induced coma in April of that year.
Draper was the subject of a 2021 documentary calledFinding Derekwhich documented her family’s experience during the pandemic. In April of that year, Garraway published her bookThe Power of Hopeabout her husband’s journey and the daily care he required, which she followed up withThe Strength of Love: Embracing an Uncertain Future with Resilience and Optimismin February 2023.
Several famous British figures — includingElton John— extended their condolences to Garraway via social media.
“My heart goes out to Kate, Darcey, William and the whole family following the passing of Derek. David, the boys and I are thinking of you and sending all our love,” he wrote on his Instagram Story.
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Back in April 2023, Draper and Garraway attended John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” where the musician dedicated his song, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” to their family.
“You gave the kids & Derek a moment that we will never forget and has lifted their spirits again to feel anything is possible,” Garrawaywrote at the time. “Thank you for your inspiring music and huge heart ❤️.Thank you too to everyone else who made the impossible possible.”
source: people.com
