H.K. Derryberry, a young man that medical professionals consider to be a true living miracle, was born July 8, 1990, in the neonatal emergency room at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Weighing only two pounds, HK arrived three months premature due to an automobile accident that took his nineteen year old mother’s life. His father, now deceased, and his maternal grandmother didn’t want him. His paternal grandmother, Pearl, has raised him.
The accident and premature birth left HK with both physical and intellectual disabilities including blind, cerebral palsy and paralysis in his right hand and arm. Initially, doctors gave the tiny baby only a slim chance for survival. His first ninety-six days of life were spent in neonatal intensive care. His care was provided by a team of outstanding medical professionals; however, many days his survival was touch and go.
Following his release from Vanderbilt Medical Center, like many people with disabilities, HK was considered an underdog. Initially, he wasn’t expected to live….today he’s in his thirties. When he eventually enrolled in the Tennessee School for the blind, teachers gave him little chance of succeeding.
Lovely, lovely, lovely.
However, against all odds, he continues to pull upsets. His amazing accomplishments including becoming the first blind student ever to use a braille machine with the use of only one hand allowing him to be literate by reading and writing in braille. He’s the first member of his immediate family to graduate high school, and today, he successfully entertains large audiences nationwide as a keynote speaker…proving that anything in life is possible.
HK is also blessed with a remarkable memory and after extensive studies at Vanderbilt’s Memory Clinic he was diagnosed with hyperthymesia or Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) allowing him almost total recall of every minute of every day of his life since age four. In 2024, less than 90 people in the entire world were known to have HSAM. HK is the only one with disabilities.
Today, he is a highly accomplished keynote speaker. With his long-time friend, mentor and speaking partner, Jim Bradford, he has shared his amazing life story of hope and determination with more 125,000 people nationwide since 2016. His factual, descriptive, and humorous presentation style often brings tears to the eyes of audience members with a proper balance of laughter and applause. The conclusion of every presentation is followed by a standing ovation.
HK was featured nationally in USA Today, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and The Huckabee Show on TBN. His book, The Awakening of HK Derryberry, is an Amazon best seller and the 2017 Audi Award winner for the nation’s best non-fiction faith-based audio book. The book is also published in German.
Never one to allow his disabilities to hinder his capabilities for learning and due, in part, to his always positive attitude, HK is a graduate of the Tennessee School for the Blind where he was a cheerleader and, as a senior, was selected by his classmates to receive the school’s most prestigious honor “King of the Senior Prom.”
HK served two terms on the Nashville Mayor’s Advisory Council for People With Disabilities, received Nashville’s Trey Pointer “Young Citizen of The Year Award,” attended The Leadership Forum For People With Disabilities at Vanderbilt University, and is a graduate of Tennessee Partners in Policy Making Leadership Institute.
He currently serves on the board of Miracle League Columbia Tennessee, an ADA compliant baseball park and playground for people with disabilities.
H.K. & Jim have spoken in front of thousands of people across hundreds of organizations, including:
Non-Profits
Athens City Schools
Auburn City Schools
Baltimore Goodwill Industries
Bledsoe County Schools
Bledsoe County Special Olympics
Brentwood Baptist Church
Ensworth Academy
GracePoint Church
HCA
Jackson Christian School
Journeys in Community Living
Lipscomb Academy
Montgomery Bell Academy
Mt. Dora Christian School
National Federation for the Blind
Project Outreach
Rotary International
Southern Hills Foundation
Tennessee 4-H Foundation
Tennessee School Boards Association
Wesleyan School
Businesses
Alabama Natural Gas
Barge Design Solutions
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee
Chick-fil-A
EY
Frankenmuth Insurance
Harper-Collins Publishing
Kingsport Chamber of Commerce
Mid-Michigan Physicians Group
Pilot International
Puckett’s Hospitality Group
TVA
Wiremasters
Universities
Alabama A&M
Athens State University
Auburn University
Belmont University
Eastern Kentucky University
Freed-Hardeman University
Furman University
Harding University
Iowa Lakes Community College
Lipscomb University
Louisiana State University
Mount Vernon University
Union University
University of Arkansas
University of Georgia
University of Kentucky
University of Montevello
University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee-Martin
Vanderbilt University
