Peter is the reason I wrote this book. This is the last photo taken of us together — Rachel, age 8, and Peter, age 4.
About Rachel Moebus
I grew up in Melbourne's western suburbs in a single-parent home with my mum and my little brother, Peter.
When I was eight years old, my life changed forever. The day after my father's wedding, my four-year-old brother Peter was tragically killed after being hit by a car. I witnessed the accident, and I struggled to understand a grief that felt far too big for a child to carry.
During those early years, a family friend encouraged me to write down my thoughts and feelings. Writing became my way of processing my emotions, making sense of my grief, and staying connected to Peter. Over the years, poems, short stories, journals, and handwritten notes became a way to honour the bond we shared.
After becoming a mother of three, and following further significant losses within my family, I created a business specialising in funeral printing and memorial presentations. For over 10 years, I had the privilege of helping families honour and celebrate the lives of those they loved during some of their most difficult moments.
Alongside this work, I completed a Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing, continuing to develop the craft that had supported me throughout my own journey.
Today, writing is not only my passion, it is my purpose.
Footprints Through Grief was created from a lifetime of love, loss, resilience, and hope. It is the book I wish I had when I was eight years old: a resource to help children understand grief, express their feelings, and know they are not alone.
Through my writing, I hope to remind children and families that even after the deepest loss, there can still be connection, healing, and hope.
