From Trauma Centers to Storytime: How Mark Traugh is Changing the Narrative for Children

MACON, GA, UNITED STATES, August 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- After two decades of high-stakes decision-making in emergency medicine, most people would consider retirement a time to rest. But for Mark Traugh, it was the beginning of a whole new chapter. The retired Air Force captain and trauma center Physician Assistant has now reinvented himself as a children’s book author, blending his life experience, faith, and family values into heartwarming tales that are as healing as they are entertaining.

Mark Traugh’s transformation from clinical reports to creative storytelling is not your average career pivot. “My son Scott nudged me in this direction,” Traugh recalls. “He said, ‘Dad, redefine yourself.’ That one line changed everything.” It became a call to action, a prompt to channel his lifelong discipline and compassion into something that would benefit the next generation, not through a stethoscope, but through a storybook.

Andrew's latest children’s book, The Hair-Out-of-the-Way-Thing-A-Ma-Bob, is a whimsical and tender tale inspired by the simple but profound moments between children and their families. It follows young Andrew, a red-haired boy with a big heart and a problem: his mother keeps getting soup in her hair. Determined to fix this, Andrew goes on a small adventure with his Nana to find the perfect solution—a journey that teaches love, problem-solving, and selflessness in its most innocent form.

“It’s more than just a funny story about a hair clip,” Traugh explains. “It’s about the kind of intentional love and support we often overlook. Children are watching us. They learn empathy, courage, and kindness from every little moment.”

Before becoming a writer, Traugh spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, advancing from Corman to Physician Assistant and eventually working in a Level One Trauma Center. It was a career filled with life-or-death decisions, technical precision, and emotional resilience. These qualities now inform his writing, where structure meets sentiment. He holds five academic degrees and numerous medical certifications, but he says none taught him as much about life as becoming a grandfather did.

Writing for his grandchildren and Sunday school students, Traugh discovered a new kind of fulfillment. “I realized there were fewer and fewer books that shared traditional values without preaching. I wanted to create stories kids would love and parents could trust.” And he has done just that, filling his books with encouragement, joy, and a dash of holy wisdom.

Faith plays a central role in both Traugh’s life and work. At the end of Andrew: The-Hair-Out-of-the-Way-Thing-A-Ma-Bob, readers find a selection of Bible verses highlighting the importance of nurturing children with intention and love. Far from feeling out of place, this spiritual touch rarely adds depth in modern children’s literature.

His writing mission is clear: to use storytelling to protect and empower. “There’s a lot of talk today about who’s influencing our children,” Traugh says. “Well, I want to be one of those people—in the right way.”

The book is also dedicated to GRASP Ministries, an international outreach organization that has helped rescue children from slavery and abuse. With deep roots in service, both in and out of uniform, Traugh sees writing as a creative outlet and an extension of his calling to serve and protect.

The balance between simplicity and emotional richness makes Traugh’s stories especially resonant. His characters are not superheroes or talking animals, but everyday people—children, parents, grandparents—each trying to do something good for someone they love. The warmth is palpable, the lessons timeless.

And audiences are responding. Parents praise the story’s heart and humor, while educators and Sunday school teachers have begun using it as a teaching tool. Traugh is currently working on additional titles in the same spirit, designed to gently guide children toward empathy, responsibility, and faith.

“I’m not trying to be the next Dr. Seuss,” Traugh says with a smile. “But if one child feels seen, understood, or inspired because of something I wrote, I’ve done my job.”

As more families search for safe, enriching content for their kids, Mark Traugh’s books stand out for all the right reasons. The Hair-Out-of-the-Way-Thing-A-Ma-Bob stays high in demand, with many distributors requesting the book as it sells like crazy.

Traugh’s books don’t just entertain, they uplift, affirm, and connect generations. And in today’s fast-moving world, that might be the most radical thing a children’s book can do.

This book is available on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Out-Way-Thing-Bob/dp/B0FC9QVDY2/

Mark Traugh
Self Publishers inc
patraugh1@cox.net
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