Typically, while perparing for high school, 12-year-olds are navigating advanced math classes and interpersonal relationships. But Naomi DeBerry isn’t a typical middle schooler. When she was 6, her father — New Orleans journalist Jarvis DeBerry — needed a kidney transplant. DeBerry sought a way to understand what was happening to her dad. A few years — and a successful kidney transplant — later, the younger DeBerry published the book “My Daddy Needs a Gift,” to help children going through similar experiences. Because of her book and organ donation advocacy, Naomi was recently named to the first-ever TIME magazine “Girls of the Year” list — the only American among the 10 young women honored.
Q: Your dad is an experienced journalist; was writing always part of your path?
Well, before my dad had his kidney transplant, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but when he had his transplant, I definitely knew for a fact I wanted to be a transplant surgeon. Both of my parents are writers, so I’m exposed to a lot of that, but I think I really wanted to write this book because I wanted kids to have a perspective, and I wanted adults to see that kids have a perspective too. Because when my dad was sick, generally, all the focus was on him, as it should be. Not only was my dad affected, but me and my mom were affected by this too. So, I wanted to write this book so that other kids or other people wouldn’t feel alone in the same process that I was in.
Q: How do you feel about bringing more awareness to organ donation?
I really want to be able to make sure that organ [donation] awareness is spread all over, as far as we can get it, and not only nationally now, but worldwide. That’s really all what I wanted my message to do. I wasn’t even trying to be girl of the year or anything. But I’m glad that not only that I’ve gotten this exposure, but that my book, “My Daddy Needs a Gift,” has gotten this exposure as well.
Q: What was the process in writing your book?
We started writing this book when I was about 9 and a half, so it’s like, three years later. [With] the writing process, I had a lot of different ideas of what I wanted the book to be like. We had some discussions where my mom wanted me to be a part of the process, and the designs and all the illustrations and everything. Writing the book actually wasn’t as long as the illustrations took, because we had to keep going back and changing things. Our Illustrator’s dad had a heart transplant, but we would have never known [that]; unless we actually met her.
Q: What was the call like from TIME Magazine?
I really wish [it was] more exciting or interesting, but really [what] happened is my mom just got an email from TIME, asking if my mom could give parental consent to make me one of the TIMES’s Girls of the Year. We don’t know how it happened; like we don’t even know how they found me, but I’m glad they did. I also want to say, as girls, I know a lot of times we don’t get the recognition that I think we should get and that we deserve for things that we’re doing all over the world. I’m glad that I was able to be one of the leaders of this group for TIME Magazine, and I’m excited to see where TIME takes this from the other girls in the future.
Q: What do you hope other kids take from your book?
That you’re never too young to be able to make a difference. And also, that if there’s something that you think is important, to bring awareness to, or to advocate for, then you should do it, because you can really make a difference.
