Audience moved to tears as Derek Draper shares firsthand account of his Covid battle in emotional documentary; Kate Garraway reflects on his passing: ‘I’ll always regret not holding his hand’

Kate Garraway’s final documentary made for emotional viewing as the presenter chronicled her late husband Derek Draper’s final year of life on Tuesday evening. 

The presenter explained that it was Derek’s choice to make the final documentary, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story, after Kate previously documented her husband’s illness since he was first diagnosed with long Covid back in 2020. 

The former political lobbyist is one of the worst affected cases of Covid in the UK, and as the programme began, Derek confessed he wanted to make this final documentary in order to ‘be heard’. 

And as the documentary began, viewers saw Derek speak for the first time since his battle with the virus, which attacked every organ in his body. 

In heartbreaking scenes viewers saw Derek’s health somewhat improving before he suffered a cardiac arrest last December which led to his passing in January. 

Viewers were left in tears as Derek Draper spoke for the first time on camera about his Covid battle before Kate Garraway described the moment he passed away in final documentary on Tuesday evening 

In heartbreaking scenes viewers saw Derek’s health somewhat improving before he suffered a cardiac arrest last December which led to his passing in January

Describing the moment after his death, Kate admitted she didn’t feel relief. 

‘A lot of people say, as a way of comforting me, “It must be a relief in a way that he’s out of pain and for you, your day isn’t consumed by caring for him.”

‘But there isn’t a relief. The one thing Derek has taught me is never to give up fighting for what is right.

‘It isn’t about Derek or me, it’s about having a society where caring isn’t a luxury, we are all going to need it.’

As she shed light on the crippling carer system in the UK, she added: ‘The one thing Derek has taught me is never give up fighting for what is right. It is not about Derek or me it is about having a society where caring is not a luxury. 

‘We are all going to need it. And it’s not about someone coming around to come and cut up your food, it is about someone giving you a chance of living and it is belittled as that.’

Asked whether she has any regrets she made the heartbreaking admission: ‘It is every single minute I didn’t spend holding his hand because I had to write an email or take a call to fight the system that should be there to catch you when you fall but feels like, when you’re going through it, is there to catch you out.

‘And that’s what now, I want to be Derek’s legacy, to fight on for that change.’

The former political lobbyist is one of the worst affected cases of Covid in the UK, and as the programme began, Derek confessed he wanted to make this final documentary in order to ‘be heard’

Describing the moment after his death, Kate admitted she didn’t feel relief.

Discussing her husband’s cardiac arrest at Christmas, Kate confessed that consultants began saying: ‘There is no way back.’

‘After the cardiac arrest, he was still breathing but could only hear so I said to him, “You know me I’m going to fight this all the way but if you can’t fight anymore and what you need now is peace don’t think about us. We’re going to be fine.”

‘An awful lot of what he had done was wanting to be there as a dad and a husband.

‘We had a different kind of love that we had before but it was love and even though it was chaotic and crazy and an absolute slog – in the midst of all that was family.’

In emotional scenes, Kate showed the true reality of Derek’s struggle as he battled with this new version of himself. 

In one painfully emotional clip Derek was seen crying out as he struggled to stand up by himself. 

Aided by mobility therapist Cornel, Derek struggled to lift himself out his chair without support as Kate willed him on.  

As he failed to get up he cried : ‘Pathetic’ before falling back down somewhat defeated at his lack of strength. 

Viewers were left in floods of tears as they took to Twitter to share their love with Kate and her family. 

They wrote: ‘Omg this documentary has got me….’; ‘#DerekStory is absolutely breaking my heart. I think #Kate Garraway is doing a brilliant job in raising awareness about the difficulties that carers face in this country.’ 

‘Whatever you think of #KateGarraway Watching what she had to go through looking after Derek is. His care was £4000 a week. Seeing his distress having physical therapy is a hard watch. We need better care for our long term sick.’

Viewers were left in floods of tears as they took to Twitter to share their love with Kate and her family

Another clip from last November, saw Derek audibly distressed as he was heard crying from the other room as he called out for Kate. 

Choosing not to show Derek in these scenes, his cries could only be heard, as Kate explained: ‘He’s been very angry recently. He’s frustrated and very very angry and a bit scared’. 

‘He keeps saying “please don’t leave my Jake, I don’t want you to go” I think he has picked up on the fragility of the situation’ 

As Kate entered the room to comfort him she reassured: ‘It’s alright. You are doing that shaking thing. It’s OK darling no one is cross’. 

Joking she added: ‘You sound like a wood pigeon’ as she asked: ‘What is going on in that head of yours?’ 

Speaking to the camera she asked: ‘What’s that about? It makes it very demanding to care for him. I know him and I love him, so it’s OK, but for a carer it is very difficult when he is asking them “Why are you being mean to me?” when they are trying to help him.’