Kate Gerave’s husband uttered his first words after he fell seriously ill with covid seven months ago.
Derek Draper, 53, has been battling the disease since March.
Good Morning Britain was watching presenter Derek when he stumbled upon his first word ‘pain’ on FaceTime.
Said Kate Sun: That progress was both ‘surprising yet heartbreaking’.
(Photo: Mirrorpix)
“It’s a case of trying to balance belief, hope and optimism with reality.”
“But we have made progress that was both surprising yet heartbreaking.
“It happened when the nurses, as part of their treatment, were triggering Derek for a gravitational stimulus because he had been lying there for so long.”
Derek’s tracheotomy tube has been removed and he is now able to breathe without a ventilator, but sadly, it seems Derek is still in great pain.
Doctors were moving around his body to catch and stop him when the word was spoken.
Kate said that from the beginning of her battle against the Covid-19, doctors and nurses spoke respectfully to Derek while caring for him, even when he could not open his eyes.
They were hoping they could respond.
And she said that at this point, they were really doing the same thing, not really expecting any reaction, but then she suddenly raised the word “pain”.
Kate, 53, said that while it was “heartbreaking” when “pain” was Derek’s first word, the fact that he communicated was a “huge success.”
The presenter, who shared the children with Darcy, 14, and Billy, 11, Derek, said he was in tears when it happened, and was also moved by the feeling of the hospital staff who cared for him.
She added: “It breaks my heart that many times it would have happened that he was in terrible pain and he was not able to communicate.”
Kate said Derek has spoken the word “pain” twice now.
When she hadn’t heard the first time – then called by doctors on the phone – she was looking at FaceTime for the second time.
She said it was “hard” but “surprising” because she knew this was important for her husband’s recovery.
Kate says she can see in her husband’s eyes that he’s “there” and they just have to “catch up”.
Despite this improvement, there is still no long-term forecast for Derek.
Doctors do not know for sure whether he will recover completely after being affected by the coronavirus and his internal organs, including his lungs, heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
Derek has also lost a surprising amount of weight and remains in the form of a coma called PDOC, which is used for long-term disorders of consciousness.
The Mirror recently revealed that Kate has begun work on an emotional documentary about the coronavirus, in which she will talk about Derek and the impact of the epidemic across the country.
Kate is using her own unique approach to the front ITV Documentary where he will talk to various people affected by the epidemic.
A source close to Kate said: “Kate has been seen regularly at the GMB talking about Derek and his fight against coronavirus and now she has also decided to use her opinion to create a documentary where she talks to many of those affected and makes headlines. And the stories behind the people involved.
“As well as seeing what she went through in the program, she will also talk to disease survivors, front people and economic experts, who will provide insights into the effects of coronavirus.
“The idea is to show the virus and its effects in different ways and how it can affect many people across the country.
“Based on watching Kate discuss Derek’s illness on screen, it’s likely to get emotionally drained when it airs early next year.”
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