The Fight of My Life: Memoirs Of A Child Abuse Victim

By Sequoya Willis

Sequoya was neglected, abused, starved, and malnourished. Amazingly she survived the turmoil of her past. With parents who cared more about their next hit of Crack Cocaine than the well being of their children, it is amazing Sequoya is still in her right mind. She cried out for help; while everyone including friends and family turned their back. Her own mother threw her for a loop when she placed her daughters' lives on the line for the love of a man who hung her out of a three story window. Going to school was her only peace until her classmates made her life a living hell. School officials and The Child Welfare Administration ignored the signs of abuse and believed the lies that were fed to them. Surrounded by rape, lies, drugs, and alcohol, Sequoya cries out to someone she never knew. She was told never to talk to strangers, but a stranger saved her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257324255

Book preview

Author

Prologue

You can either break their spirits

or make them stronger. It is time

for change.

As a child, it was frustrating to me to see so many people turn their backs on what they knew was happening behind the closed doors of the apartment where my family lived. I cried out to people who I thought would help me – family members who said they loved me every time they saw me – but they did nothing. That was more hurtful than anything.

Every day, I prepared myself to be verbally humiliated by my peers because they didn’t understand that I was withdrawn, smelly, dirty, and angry because of what was going on at home. The school officials taught us that it was wrong for parents to abuse their children, but they were the ones who believed the lies they taught were signs of abuse. Was it wrong to lose trust in people and organizations, because the social workers and caseworkers from the Child Welfare Administrations were fooled by my father? When they came to conduct an investigation, my father borrowed food from neighbors and said it was ours? He scared his children so bad and made us lie. How long and tedious should an investigation have been? Shouldn’t it have lasted longer than one visit involving a couple of questions topped with goodbye smiles? Was the paperwork that long and hard to complete? Wasn’t my life worth the hard work?

What greatly affected me was having a mother who cared more about loving a man than she did the welfare of her children. What affected me even more was having a father that wanted his daughters to fear and hate him instead of feel protected by him. He was the one from whom his children needed to be protected.

It took me a while to write these memoirs. I wanted to say what so many children who may be suffering through experiences similar to my own may be trying to say. I wanted to create awareness about what may be going on in the apartment or house next door to you. Teachers and staff in the schools across the United States of America need to know what they may be overlooking.

The Child Welfare Administration (CWA)/Child Protective Service (CPS) social workers and case workers need to understand that everything that glitters is not gold. Family members of every family need to learn why they should speak up and break the cycle of abuse in their families. Parents, everything you do to yourselves, each other, and your children, leave lasting impressions on your child’s heart, mind, and spirit. You can either break their spirits or make them stronger. It is time for change.

This book should be used as an eye opener for many families and organizations. The journey has been long and very difficult, but here it is. Especially, when I have tried so hard to keep it behind me and learned that God has planned a brighter future for me. However, writing these memoirs was extremely therapeutic. I pray that it is the same for you.

Introduction

God has given me the courage to

proceed. Please take my courage as

your own.

During the creation of this book, there were many obstacles that have tried to block my path. How could a mother tell her daughter that she is dead to her? The great thing is, having faith that God will handle it all, moves mountains!

I became hesitant about publishing this book. However, I realized that this book is not just about me. This book is a voice for all of those child abuse victims who are afraid to speak for themselves.

The names were changed throughout the book. I did not intend to be revengeful, so there is no need to mention anyone’s real name. I am not concerned about what anyone feels about my words. They are my feeling and the memories that I have about my past. Someone else may interpret the past differently.

God gave me the vision and I was obedient. I am not concerned about my biological mother erasing me from her life, because when I became born again the, the old things have passed away. I have become a new creature in Christ and that is all that I am concerned about. I am still a work in progress and I am not perfect, but God has supplied me with a life that my biological parents could have never provided. As a matter of fact, they did not want to. Erasing me from her life was the best thing my biological mother could have ever done for me.

I forgive both of my biological parents. I had to because God said that I needed to in order to live the life that I am entitled to live. I leave them both in his hands.

God has given me the courage to proceed. Please take my courage as your own. Use the strength behind this book for yourself and speak out or help someone.

I love you all! Please hold my hand as we take this journey through my past.

Drunken Monkey

When he got to the point of not

being able to rationalize, he would

beat on me and my mother.

The apartment my family lived in was on the