Kate Garraway opens up on ‘tough’ birthday without husband Derek Draper: 'His absence was very present'
5 May 2020, 13:39 | Updated: 5 May 2020, 15:43
Smooth Radio's Kate Garraway opened up about her "tough" birthday without her husband Derek Draper by her side as he is still in hospital battling coronavirus.
Derek has been in hospital with Covid-19 since the end of March, meaning Kate spent her 53rd birthday at home with children Darcey and Billy.
Taking to Instagram, Kate posted: “So yesterday was always going to be a tough one - 1st birthday in 16 years without Derek - so for the kids & I, his absence was very present.
“But we resolved to do what I think we are all having to do at the moment aren’t we - treasure & be grateful for the love around us - however distanced we are from it.
“And focus on the joy of life & love in the moment - the small things that are huge & really should be at the core of everyday, but usually the everyday gets in the way.
“So THANK YOU so much for all your messages they mean such a lot, to the friends @itv who sent chocolate for the kids & uplifting smellies for me, to mates who dropped off food, posh teabags & milk & made me smile at silliness (Derek is a great believer in the healing power of silliness), to my amazing family, to Derek’s friends who sent me messages of fun times they have had with him (pictured is when Derek was editing a student newspaper - insert your own ‘his taste in birds’ joke here!).
Kate Garraway receives her letter from home on I'm A Celeb
Read more: Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper is ‘still critically ill’ with coronavirus as Smooth presenter gives emotional update
“And the strangers who got this cake >>> from @romankemp & all at @global & worked out it was actually meant for me (was it the bourbons that gave it away??!!) - THANK YOU all.
“But most of all thank you to the NHS teams keeping Derek still with us & battling everyday to inch him toward recovery. #hope #positivethinking #standtogether.”
Everyone at Smooth is thinking of Derek, Kate, Darcey and Billy and are wishing Derek a speedy recovery.
