DJ Perkins

Co-Author and Inspiration

 

DJ is short for Delilah Joy, and is the very girl whom Katie Not Afraidy was written after.

 

DJ loves animals, sports, nature, and art.  She currently lives with three dogs, one cat, 2 guinea pigs, 3 goldfish, one little sister, and two awesome parents (her words, we swear!).  These very things create an equation for chaos, often referred to as The Perkins Circus.

 

DJ says that she not only lives with furry (and sometimes slobbery!) faces, but that she also lives with anxiety disorder.  DJ is quick to share that she isn’t upset nor ashamed of her excessive worrying. Instead, she views it as a learning experience and super power.  She is proactive in finding tools and strategies to cope with her anxiety, and is transparent in sharing those skills with others.

 

In addition to living with anxiety, DJ is also a T1D Warrior!  For those new to the term, this means she is living with Type 1 Diabetes.  She was newly diagnosed in December, 2020, and isn't letting it slow her down one bit. 

 

DJ wanted to write Katie Not Afraidy as a way of helping others.  Through this book, she hopes that adults will better understand the anxious children in their lives, and that anxious children would know they are not alone.