Kate Garraway has revealed she was rushed to hospital with “excruciating” chest pains due to the stress of her husband Derek Draper’s battle with coronavirus.
The 56-year-old presenter was preparing to present Good Morning Britain last November, but when her alarm went off at 2am she couldn’t bring herself to turn it off.
In her new book, The Strength Of Love, she describes how she then felt a “sharp pain” in her chest and was taken to the emergency room for tests.
Derek, also 56, was diagnosed with coronavirus at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and was in a life-threatening condition.
Doctors put him in an induced coma and on a ventilator. He was in hospital for 13 months.
Health problems: Kate Garraway has revealed she was rushed to hospital with ‘excruciating’ chest pains due to the stress of her husband Derek Draper’s battle with coronavirus
Hart: Derek was diagnosed with coronavirus at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and was in a life-threatening condition
He has been seriously ill since 2020 and has been in and out of hospital ever since, where he has to use a wheelchair.
She told The Sun about her health problems: “I had a stabbing pain in my chest – like someone had put their fist through my breastbone, grabbed my heart and squeezed it shut.”
“The pain was sharp and unbearable. Then I realized it wasn’t a sudden pain. It had been there the whole time. My temporary paralysis had distracted me.
“Then the thought came, ‘Oh God, did I have a heart attack?'” But why was my body reacting like that?
“Could it be that I was so desperate to help Derek that I started to feel pity grief?”
She then vomited on the way to work and was taken to the emergency room when she arrived at the studios.
They ran tests and a cardiologist ruled out that she was having a heart attack before the doctor let her go home.
She also told how she burst into tears when the doctor recognized her and said she was an inspiration, telling the man: “I’m not doing anyone any good.”
Bad: Derek struggled to make a full recovery after falling ill with COVID-19 in March 2020, becoming the longest surviving hospital patient with the virus in the UK
Ouch: The 56-year-old presenter was preparing to present Good Morning Britain last November, but when her alarm went off at 2am she couldn’t bring herself to turn it off
Her scare was a one-off problem, but doctors are now keeping an eye on it as it may have been stress-related angina.
Last week, Kate shared an update on her husband Derek’s progress as she attended the National Television Awards on Tuesday night.
The star spoke about how Derek and her family were doing as she told reporters on the red carpet: “We’re moving on.”
Kate said: “He’s fine.” I’m afraid there hasn’t been any dramatic progress but we’re carrying on.
“Derek and the kids are all watching at home, but we also recorded it so we can watch it together. ‘I’m just glad I didn’t fall over.’
The next day, Kate was seen stepping out on her Smooth radio show wearing a camouflage khaki dress.
Earlier this month, Kate revealed her husband’s ordeal at the airport, which left him stuck between passport gates for an hour.
Kate and her Good Morning Britain co-host Richard Madeley, 67, were speaking to Martin Hibbert, a survivor of the Manchester bombing, about the degrading treatment of disabled people on Wednesday’s show when Kate recalled a shocking moment regarding reminded her own husband.
Kate opened up about the shock when her Covid-stricken husband was trapped between the automatic ePassport gates after he was unable to free himself, telling the show he was essentially “stuck in no man’s land”.
Recounting her experience after she and Derek returned to the country following treatment abroad, she said: “You know, going through passport control, and before that you couldn’t get through in a wheelchair.”
“They put one in at great expense. When they came to do it with Derek – and disability has a wide spectrum – and he lacked the insight that you have [Martin] or the strength you have in your upper body – we realized we couldn’t bring him into the country.’
She continued that Derek was unable to physically free himself between the automatic self-service gates and was stuck for about an hour.
Kate continued: “He walked forward, the door was locked but the disabled person had to open it.” Because because of the border it’s not allowed to do it yourself, so he was stuck in no man’s land for about an hour, literally between two borders.”
Kate recalled Sir Elton John’s special tribute to her husband Derek last month as she detailed how the legendary musician expressed his support.
Derek struggled to fully recover after falling ill with COVID-19 in March 2020, becoming the longest surviving hospital patient with the virus in the UK.
In April, the pair managed to get away from their north London home to see Elton on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour at the O2 Arena with their children Darcey, 17, and Billy, 13, after he invited them.
Speaking to One Show hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas, Kate explained how the trip came about.
“Sir Elton John happened to have a friend who was in a coma in LA when Derek first got COVID, and through strange connections we ended up talking,” she said.
Kate continued: “He asked what I was doing for Derek and we exchanged information and he’s stayed in touch ever since.”
“When his tour resumed he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you could come and see it?’ I never thought it would be possible.
“Suddenly there were only a few dates left before his extraordinary farewell at Glastonbury.” I thought, should we just give it a try?
“I had no idea if we were even going to make it that day. “We came in there, Derek was great, we took him out a bit because it was a bit overwhelming.
Travel: Doctors put him in an induced coma and on a ventilator and he was in hospital for 13 months (Kate and her family pictured her getting her OBE in June)
“But we went back and it happened just at the moment when Sir Elton John was thanking everyone on the tour and all these incredible people.
“He said, ‘Most of all, I can’t believe Derek Draper is here,’ and obviously there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It was wonderful. “Having that moment where you feel connected is extraordinary.”
The 76-year-old singer paid special tribute to them and dedicated his hit “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to them.
Kate said the trip had been a huge ordeal for the couple – particularly for former political lobbyist Derek, who was struggling with devastating health complications.