'THERE IS LIFE'
Kate Garraway will take hope from Covid survivor’s recovery after 222 days in hospital, says Piers Morgan
KATE Garraway will take hope from a coronvirus survivor's recovery after 222 days in hospital, her co-star Piers Morgan said this morning.
It's been a devastating year for Kate, whose husband Derek Draper has been seriously ill in hospital since March after he contracted the virus.
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But on today's Good Morning Britain, London cab driver Ali Sakallioglu urged her not to give up and to use his own recovery from the virus to fuel her hope.
His family were told three times that he would die after his organs failed, he had a heart attack and was placed in an induced coma; but they refused to believe he would leave them.
Piers said: "I think your story will give Kate a lot of hope and optimism that there is life after what appears to be no hope at all."
Ali responded: "There is hope. They gave me zero chance. There is always hope as long as he's breathing. I pray to God for him. I was watching TV with her on and it brought a tear to my eye.
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"I thought to myself, my kids were in that situation. I hope I can give her hope that he can come through this."
While Ali was on a ventilator unaware of his bleak situation, his family were consumed by worry.
His daughter Shennez said: "It was heart-wrenching. It was truly scary for me, my siblings and family.
"We were heartbroken. We just refused to believe... we said no we're not going to say our goodbyes all of us together just encouraged him said to him 'you're going to do this, you've got so much to live for, your children, your friends. We never didn't believe he wouldn't make it we picked each other up there was always hope."
Just days ago Kate said it had been a "tough old week" for Derek as he remains in intensive care.
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Derek is the UK's longest surviving Covid-19 patient. Last month, she told The Sun that Derek had mouthed the word "pain" - his first word after 214 days in intensive care.
Kate recently told how Derek can finally breathe on his own after seven months in intensive care, with coronavirus ravaging his lungs, heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
Her husband has also been confirmed as type one diabetic - despite not having diabetes before Covid, and remains in a form of coma called PDOC (Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness).
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