Kate Garraway took a devastating 12-hour flight back from her husband Derek Draper from Mexico after suffering a seizure downtown.
Garraway made a desperate attempt to save Draper, who died on Wednesday night, after suffering cardiac arrest while in Mexico undergoing specialist treatment for long Covid.
A source close to Garraway told The Sun she had spent “eight grueling weeks” worrying about her children Darcey, 17, and Billy, 14, in London, while her husband underwent treatment in Latin America.
But while taking a connecting flight to Mexico, Garraway learned that her husband had gone into cardiac arrest.
Draper, who suffered brain, kidney and liver damage after contracting Covid in 2020, was transferred to a medevac plane for a 12-hour return adventure after his condition stabilized.
The flight began on Dec. 11 with Garraway alongside her husband for a 12-hour journey, then spent Christmas with him in a London hospital before dying at the age of 56.
A source close to Garraway told The Sun: “It’s been an unbelievably gruelling eight weeks for Kate, and how she is still going is quite remarkable.
“Derek and Kate traveled to Mexico in November. They did it without fanfare because they didn’t need to generate hope in everyone.
“The remedy went incredibly well and his doctor and all the experts were incredibly positive about his progress and long-term future.
“Sadly, when Kate was returning excitedly to take Derek home, he went into cardiac arrest.
“The doctors proved that this could have happened at any time in the last 4 years because of the damage to Derek’s organs caused by Covid. It’s just inevitable.
“Kate was by his side under intensive care in Mexico and worked with Derek’s British experts who oversaw his treatment and return, which was a military operation. “
RESEARCH
CONNECT WITH US
TODAY’S PAPER
Check out today’s and previous pages, download the newspaper, order back issues, and use the old archives of the Daily Express newspaper.
EXPRESS.CO.UK