GMB’s Kate Garraway reveals terrifying moment ill husband Derek ‘couldn’t get into the country’ after airport issue
GOOD Morning Britain anchor Kate Garraway has revealed the terrifying moment ill husband Derek Draper was “stuck in no man’s land between borders” due to an airport issue at Heathrow.
Kate, 56, opened up on the ordeal on Wednesday’s ITV episode as she told how Derek, also 56 – who was left fighting for his life after suffering Covid – had gone to America for treatment.
Ex political lobbyist Derek is one of the UK‘s longest suffering patients of Covid, yet has since been battling a variety of health problems, after the virus caused brain inflammation, kidney failure, and damage to his liver and pancreas.
We have previously reported how Kate and Derek, who are parents of two, have turned to help from experts in America and a “potentially life-saving trial” in Mexico.
On today’s ITV episode, the Good Morning Britain favourite was talking about disabled access and facilities at London Heathrow Airport.
She told co-host Richard Madeley and Manchester Arena bomb survivor Martin Hibbert, who was present for the debate, how the transport hub had recently installed a passport scanner that was wheelchair-wide.
Kate said: “Disability has a wide-range – Derek hasn’t got the cognitive skills or upper-body strength that you’ve got.
“We realised we couldn’t get him into the country.
“He went forward [in the machine] and the door locked and then the disabled person has to free it.
“You’re not allowed because of the border to do it yourself.”
Derek struggled to push the door and couldn’t get out, and Kate added: “He was stuck in no man’s land and literally between two borders for about an hour or so.
“That’s even when conscious effort has been made to make things work.”
Kate then praised Martin, who has spinal cord injuries and uses a wheelchair following the horror terrorist incident at an Ariana Grande gig in 2017, for his work.
He suffered 20 shrapnel wounds during the attack which tragically killed 22 people and has now made it his mission to flag the inadequate facilities for disabled people.
His daughter meanwhile still needs 24-hour care after the attack.
Martin is focussed on highlighting the degrading treatment of disabled people and is set to chat to Government ministers today.