Hanford native publishes children's book 'Pandemic Baby'

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno Unified teacher is sharing her story about raising a 'pandemic baby' in her very first children's book.

Racheal Moni knows first-hand the challenges of being a pandemic parent.

"She was born March 2020," explained Moni. "The week the United States shut down and we didn't know what that meant as a new family."

The Monis brought home little Amelia in the first weeks of the nation's sudden isolation.

"We came home to an empty home," explained Moni. "There's that idea you come home and grandma's going to be there and family's going to be there that wants to help and that just wasn't the case, which wasn't their fault."

But Racheal says they managed to make the most of their unexpected situation.

"We ended up being really grateful," said Moni. "We had a lot of quiet time, just us. We got to learn what it meant to be a family on our own."

It's a story many families can relate to and one this teacher decided to share.

"One night I couldn't sleep," said Moni. "I wrote a little poem in my phone and decided to move forward with a book."

She didn't waste any time, publishing her very first book, Pandemic Baby, on Amazon. The children's book follows the family's journey with little Amelia over the past year.

"I just want people to know they weren't the only ones that came home when it was scary and dark with a newborn," said Moni. "People were not alone in that."

It's a story Racheal hopes other families and someday her daughter will cherish.

"I hope she sees how loved she was and even though it was a scary time, she was so loved," said Moni.

You can purchase a copy of "Pandemic Baby" here.