July 2025 — Author, nurse, and mother, Dr. Roxana Maffei Burciago brings a deeply personal and inspiring story to life in her debut children’s book, To My Little Onion: Uncovering the Magic Within—A Journey of Love, Growth, and Strength, a heartfelt metaphorical journey celebrating the resilience of children with autism and other developmental differences and the transformative love of the families who support them. Inspired by her own experiences raising a child with significant developmental delays, Roxana crafted To My Little Onion to honor the beauty, effort, and emotional strength found in each step of growth. Through the touching metaphor of peeling back an onion’s layers, the book illustrates how patience, compassion, and belief can uncover the hidden magic within every child.
“My goal was to create something that validates the challenges while celebrating the quiet victories—something that says, ‘You are not alone, and that while the path forward is challenging, it can also be filled with beauty, strength, and transformation. I also wanted readers to remember that our children are incredibly perceptive. They hear us, they feel our love, and they understand the effort we put in—even if they don’t always show it in traditional ways. So never give up on them, because when they feel our belief in them, they learn to believe in themselves.’” Roxana says. “This book is for my son, my daughter, and every family navigating a similar path.”
Designed for children ages 5–10, caregivers, educators, and therapists, To My Little Onion fosters understanding and empathy. The story encourages families to embrace their challenging paths and highlights the importance of nurturing environments where all children feel seen, heard, and valued.Perfect for home, libraries, inclusive classrooms, support groups, and pediatric therapy settings, the book also opens the door for meaningful conversations with siblings and extended family. With tender illustrations and emotional resonance, To My Little Onion is not just a story—it’s a message of hope, a tribute to perseverance, and a reminder of the extraordinary strength that lives within us all.
While raising her two spirited children with her husband in Connecticut, Roxana is also a nurse and holds a PhD in biomedical informatics from the University of Pennsylvania, UT Health Science Center, and Columbia University postdoc. Her professional background, combined with her personal journey, gives her a unique voice and vision for storytelling that resonates across communities.
To My Little Onion: Uncovering the Magic Within—A Journey of Love, Growth, and Strength is available now.
