Kate Garraway has faced further heartache after her family car was stolen.
The Good Morning Britain presenter has had a challenging year, as her husband Derek Draper remains seriously ill in hospital after contracting the coronavirus back in March.
Speaking on the show on Monday morning, Kate admitted that the theft of 20-year-old “Vicky Volvo” was such a “blow” to her and her family at an already difficult time.
She explained: “Initially I thought it’s bound to be an unpaid parking ticket that Derek hasn’t been able to sort out while out of action since March and it’s probably gone through a system and it’s been impounded – but it’s actually been stolen.”
“It’s silver, it’s battered, it’s old, it’s got a roofbox…I don’t know but it was such a body blow – particularly to my son Billy.
“That was our family car and it’s just like another thing that’s been grabbed away.
“There are bigger things than a car going on right now, but it’s one of those things.”
Kate’s co-host Piers Morgan made a direct plea to those responsible for taking Kate’s car.
“Honestly if you took that car look at your humanity for a moment please and give the damn car back,” he said.
“It’s got sentimental value. It is the family car and it’s the only one the two kids have known, it’s part of the family life.
“This family needs that car,” he added.
The news comes after Kate shared an update on her husband’s condition, revealing he spoke his first word in 7 months.
Speaking to the Sun, Kate said: “It happened when the nurses were moving Derek, as part of his treatment, to trigger the sensation of gravity because he’s been horizontal for so long.
“Right from the beginning, when Derek couldn’t even open his eyes, the doctors and nurses have always talked to him to be respectful, and to try to trigger a response.”
“As they were shifting him, they asked if he could feel anything — not expecting a response as he hadn’t previously. But suddenly he mouthed in a whisper, ‘Pain’.”
“Obviously it’s so heart-wrenching that his first word was ‘pain’, but it is a huge breakthrough because it means he has been able to connect the feeling in his body to his brain and mouth,” Kate explained.
“They called me straight after and I burst into tears. The staff told me later that they were so emotional as well.”
“It breaks my heart that there may have been times that he’s been in terrible pain and wasn’t able to communicate it.”
“But he’s said it twice now and I was there for the second one, watching him over FaceTime. That was so hard, but also amazing because I know the possible significance.”
“Of course there’s a big difference between being able to say the word ‘pain’, and Derek being the Derek I know and love. But I feel in his eyes that he’s there, and that we just have to hold on in this grim battle.”
Kate married the former lobbyist back in 2005, and the couple share two kids – daughter Darcey, 14, and son Billy, 11.
