Kate Garraway has opened up about the realities of caring for her husband, Derek Draper, in a new interview. A former lobbyist, Draper, 55, was left with long-lasting organ damage after falling seriously ill with Covid-19 in March 2020. After spending more than a year in hospital with Covid from March 2020 to April 2021, partly in an induced coma, he has been in and out of hospital since then for various treatments, including in October 2022 after he contracted sepsis. Now, speaking to The Sunday Times, Garraway, 53, has spoken at length about Draper’s condition, the constant care he requires today, and the toll it takes on her. Currently, Draper has no physical mobility and needs to be held upright by two people five times a day in order to bear any weight. “Being upright is incredible for the brain,” Garraway explained. “We’re meant to be upright – you don’t want your brain to adjust to being flat.” However, a lack of progress has taken a toll on them both. “The truth is he’s terribly, terribly depressed,” the Good Morning Britain presenter added. “I think sickness is selfish,” she continued. “Selfish in the sense that it does strip you of your empathy. He does get very emotional about the strain this has put on me. “But when someone’s body doesn’t work, their brain can’t make anything or anyone else a priority.” Garraway went on to speak about how, as his condition progresses, those around her have become increasingly concerned. “My friends worry that I can’t spend my life forever attached to whether Derek is having a good or bad day, for my own sanity,” she said. “So I’ve got to create a bit of headspace. But we’ve never had a period where we could say, ‘Well, at least he’s safe now.’” The interview comes after Garraway was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle in June. The presenter was recognised in the 2022 New Year Honours for her services to broadcasting, journalism, and charity. Draper was able to attend the investiture ceremony in his wheelchair, wearing a blue suit and stripe tie. Garraway wore a cream dress with a bejewelled collar and a matching headpiece. When it was announced that she had been awarded the accolade, Garraway said on GMB: “I actually feel very awkward about it all really, I don’t know why, because I’m thrilled to bits and incredibly honoured. “But you just sort of think, ‘What? Me?’, and then you think it’s not real.” Read More Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper admitted to hospital after MBE ceremony Derek Draper watches as wife Kate Garraway collects MBE from Prince William Susanna Reid shares message on GMB for Kate Garraway and Derek Draper after Elton John tribute Father praised for ‘embarrassing’ dance when picking daughter up from high school What are Blue Zones and how do they impact your health? Hairspray star reveals she went into labour while attending Beyoncé concert

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Many people with Huntington’s disease are being turned away from traditional mental health support, a charity has claimed as it called for more to be done to help people with the condition. Some mental health services have told patients that they do not have the specialist care needed, leading to the Huntington’s Disease Association calling for better help and support for people living with the disease. Huntington’s disease is a condition that stops parts of the brain working properly over time and can lead to problems with movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking, judgment) and mental health. Most people with the inherited condition will start to show symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50 and it gradually gets worse for around 10 to 25 years until the person dies. During all this time, my mental health was worsening. I’d seen my uncle commit suicide a few years before after his diagnosis and him not receiving the correct support and I was at a similar point Daniel Johnston There is no cure for Huntington’s disease or any way to stop it getting worse. A small new poll of 105 people with the condition, shared with the PA news agency, found that 85% had attempted to access community mental health services. But among this group, 56% claimed they had been denied access to care, the Huntington’s Disease Association said. Daniel Johnston, from Horam, East Sussex, said his local mental health service “didn’t know” where to refer him. The 41-year-old father of two said: “When I tested positive for Huntington’s, there was no specific pathway from that point for any mental health support. “I was confused, upset and angry about the diagnosis. I didn’t, and still don’t, fully understand my feelings of confusion and anger. “I wasn’t referred to a professional psychologist or anyone who knows how to support someone with a life-changing diagnosis such as Huntington’s. “During all this time, my mental health was worsening. I’d seen my uncle commit suicide a few years before after his diagnosis and him not receiving the correct support and I was at a similar point. “It was only when I explained to my consultant in our six-monthly appointment earlier this year the extent of my thoughts that he contacted the crisis team for me, and they began a course of daily calls for two weeks. “From this point onwards it’s been getting better, but I feel so sad for others who slip through the net so easily. “It’s as if people get afraid when you mention Huntington’s and there’s confusion around treating Huntington’s and treating mental health. “I’m not surprised by the amount of people being denied access to mental health support services due to having Huntington’s – I have been one of those people and it’s really scary.” The charity said hurdles often occur for patients after they have been referred by their GP for mental health support. Local mental health teams have told patients that Huntington’s “doesn’t fall under the remit of what they’re able to provide treatment for”. The charity has launched a new campaign, Mindful of Huntington’s, to raise awareness of the cognitive impairment symptoms of the disease, and has called for greater access to mental health support. Cath Stanley, chief executive of the Huntington’s Disease Association, said: “Many people think of Huntington’s as a disease which impacts movement, but that is only half the story, and the non-physical symptoms are often overlooked. “At the Huntington’s Disease Association, we find people will most commonly be referred to mental health services due to cognitive symptoms such as irritability and aggression. “Throughout May, we will be focusing on these cognitive symptoms and the life-changing impact they can have. “The stark findings we’re announcing can’t be ignored – people are asking for much-needed mental health support, being turned away, and their health is deteriorating further. It is disappointing but not surprising to see that there’s still a lot of misunderstanding around Huntington’s.” To find out more visit: www.hda.org.uk Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Scottish first minister Yousaf calls cost of coronation ‘uncomfortable’ King Charles and other royals return to work after coronation Prince Harry’s ghostwriter opens up about harassment after ‘Spare’

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A woman who was born with a rare inherited skin blistering disorder which caused her to get “bullied” and feel “like a freak” throughout her childhood and teenage years, as well as forcing her onto a soft food diet of “bananas and custard” for weeks at a time, now writes inclusive children’s books with a focus on disability to encourage “other children to grow up with confidence”. Vie Portland, a 52-year-old confidence coach, author and speaker from Winchester, was born with epidermolysis bullosa simplex generalised intermediate but was not formally diagnosed with the skin condition until she was 28. According to the NHS, epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare inherited skin disorder that causes the skin to become very fragile, and any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters. Vie is yet to find a treatment that helps her condition, and her feet are regularly covered with huge internal blisters which feel like she has “stones under (her) skin.” Her condition even means that she cannot eat “anything acidic or too peppery” and often spends weeks eating “just bananas and custard”. She has also developed thoracic outlet syndrome, chronic bursitis, and often has spasms, because of walking with a limp to try to ease the pain. Now, Vie writes inclusive children’s books to raise awareness about living with a disability, because she grew up “afraid that there was no one else like (her)”, and hopes to write a book about someone with her condition next. Vie told PA Real Life: “So it feels like I’ve got stones under my skin all the time on my feet and it doesn’t matter how much you try to explain that to someone people just don’t get it. “Even things like if I meet friends for a drink in a lovely pub garden – I’ll be in agony because of walking on gravel and it takes so much energy out of me. “I can’t eat anything acidic or too peppery – sometimes I have to eat just bananas and custard for weeks.” Vie was born with the skin condition, saying: “I was born with no skin on my bottom and had some skin missing on my left foot. “The charity that works with people that have EB wasn’t around then – I spoke to someone recently from Debra, the charity, and they said if you looked at all the people on a double-decker bus, you’d expect to find at least one person with psoriasis. “But, you’d have to wait for over 700 buses before you met someone with EB.” As a child, Vie regularly had huge blisters all over her feet and the back of her heels. She explained: “I remember wearing jelly shoes one summer, and heat and friction are two of my triggers. “Throughout the day, blisters grew around the rubber shoes and I had to have the pair of shoes cut off my feet – it was excruciating.” When Vie was a teenager, she was very self-conscious of her condition, she explained: “I was in constant pain, and I struggled with all shoes and walking anywhere. “We’re always told not to pop blisters, but when you have EB they tell you to pop them because they get so big. “I didn’t know that at the time and it was just so painful. “People were noticing how I walk and I was embarrassed to show my feet – I didn’t have a normal childhood because of this. “Even something as simple as opening a bottle makes several layers of skin come off and cause me to have raw skin all over my hands, I was told this was weird by other people.” Doctors were baffled by Vie’s condition, over the years, she was told she had different types of eczema and even that she was allergic to her own sweat. But, at age 28, she was diagnosed with EB by a dermatologist in London. She said: “I just grew up believing that it was my fault and I was afraid that there was no one else like me.” “It all just made sense. “They even took pictures of my feet for a medical journal because it was so rare.” After getting her diagnosis, Vie began researching the charity DEBRA, which specialises in EB. She said: “I started finding out that there were people like me – it was amazing, growing up, I was bullied and felt like a freak.” Since then, Vie has sadly not been able to find a treatment that helps her condition. “There’s no cure for EB but things have moved on a lot over the past 20 years,” she said. “We have special types of dressings and creams which can help alleviate the pain.” On top of this, because Vie has been walking “unusually” for most of her life, she has developed thoracic outlet syndrome, chronic bursitis, and often has spasms. Vie said: “It can be frustrating at times because it just feels like no one will ever understand what it is like. “For most people, blisters are a bit painful, but it’s all right, but for me, it’s one of the worst pains in the world.” Now, Vie is focussing on raising awareness about living with a disability, and has recently written two inclusive children’s books called ‘Where Are We Going?’ and ‘Who Am I?’. She said: “I want other children to grow up with confidence and not to feel like a freak like me. “Children aren’t born with prejudice and I think it’s really important to teach them about all of our amazing cultures and worlds. “In my books, I don’t explicitly say the character is disabled until the discussion questions at the end – I want the character to be accepted and not defined by their disability. “I think people have more in common with each other than things that are different, and that’s a beautiful thing. “I’m hoping to write a book about someone with my condition – that’s my next plan.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fraser Franks undergoing heart surgery – four years after ‘hidden’ condition cut short football career 4 viral TikTok make-up trends you’ll actually want to try Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: What are the warning signs that your child might have cancer?