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Prenatal Development & Birth
I was born on February 13, 1979 at The University of Michigan Hospital in An Arbor, MI. i made my entrance at 7:53 am weighing in at 7lbs 3oz. and 20 in. long. I was named Chinyere after my paternal grandmother. My name's origin is Nigerian and means " God Gave Me". -
Prenatal Development & Birth
I spent the 1st 3 months of my life suffering the effects of withdrawal from marijuana. I cried until I was hoarse and nothing could soothe me. I had difficulty feeding because my suckling reflex was under-developed. -
Prenatal Development & Birth
My maternal grandmother obtained cstody of me after my mother left. -
First 2 Years
I was walking at 9 months and potty trained at 10 months by my maternal grandmother. -
First 2 Years
My father returned to Nigeria to repay his student loans by teaching at the University of Nigeria. -
First 2 Years
I had a playmate who lived across the street from me. I was scared to go to her house because they owned Doberman Pinchers. My friend Nealoni would ride her tricycle over to my house where we would make mudpies w/ rocks in them. We called them " Candy Bar Pies". -
First 2 years
I went to a Toddler Play Group during the week while my Grandmother went to work. I remember getting elbow macaroni stuck in my nose and ear. -
The Play Years
I would feed our dog Mona my vegetables and use my tights that I hated wearing as a toy for her to shred so I didn't have to wear the tights or any dresses. -
Play Years
I learned to tell time by my cartoons and my Grandmother's T.V. shows. I also learned how to read. -
Play Years
Began attending Perry Nursery School. I learned sign language and I remember crying because I didnt like the group bathrooms because there was no privacy. -
The Play Years
Learned to spell/write my name. My grandmother tried to discourage me from writing with my left hand. -
The Play Years
Attended kidnergarten at Pittsfield Elementary School in Ann Arbor, MI. My teacher's name was Mrs. Reid. -
The School Years
I learned that my grandmother was my grandmother and not my mother. -
The School Years
My grandmther, uncle, and I moved in with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin whne we lost our home. I had to stay in the basement with my grandmother and was seldom allowed upstairs. I developede a fear of the dark and basements. -
The Play Years
Spoke to my father for the first time. I learned that I was a big sister and I had 2 younger brothers. -
The School Years
My grandmother, uncle, and I moved in to a new home. I attended the 2nd grade at Bryant Elementary School in Ann Arbor, MI. My teacher's name was Mrs. Wong. -
The School Years
I made a new friend named Crystal who lived in the same neighborhod as me. We would ride bikes and play kickball afterschool. -
The School Years
I started the 3rd grade at Bryant. My teacher's name was Mrs. King. I also started wearing glasses in the 3rd grade. I was given the opportunity to be promoted to the 4 th grade but my grandmother declined because she didnt think I was mature enough. -
The School Years
I started the 4th grade at Pattengill Elementary. My teacher was Mr. Douglas. He owned a llama farm and had a classroom full of animals. There were chinchillas, hamsters, snakes, and gerbils. He had no sense of smell so we had to tell him when nto clean the cages. -
The School Years
I ran for Student Council and lost. I was a Conflict Manager, which was a student who used mediation and conflict resolution skills to resolve problems between other peers. -
The School Years
Graduated from the 5th grade with a ceremony and was given several awards for various achievements. -
The School Years
Started the 5th grade at Pattengill Elementary. My teacher was Mr. Taylor. I had a few friends but not many. My grandmother couldnt afford the trendy clothes and shoes so I got a paper route to buy what I wanted. I bought my first pair of Air Jordans and British Knight tennis shoes. -
The School Years
Began the 6th grade and attended Tappan Middle School. There was a huge adjustment to be made because there were kids coming from 3 other feeder schools, lockers, you had to change classes, and there were also 7th and 8th graders,.My homeroom teacher was Mr. Sipp.I had a small group of friends. -
The School Years
My Mom moved in with my grandmother and I. I had never had a any pleasant encounters with her. I became very withdrawn and depressed. I had feelings of abandonment and rejection that I still carry with me to this day. -
The School Years
My mother moved to California. There were no tears shed as she was basically a stranger who I held a deeply rooted resentment towards her for leaving me in my grandmother's care. -
The School Years
Began the 7th grade at Tappan Middle School. Growing harder to hide the fact that my grandmother is a mentally ill raging alcoholic. I had no new clothes, shoes, underclothes. She seldom washed my clothes so I tried to wash them by hand with hand soap. Kids teassed me for my slovenly appearance. -
The School Years
CPS was called when my grandmother sent me to school with glands the size of tangerines and a temp of 103. I was taken to the ER by a CPS worker where I was treated for severre strep throat. I was then placed in my maternal aunt's temporary care. -
Adolescent Years
Being placed in my aunt's care was the best thing that could've happened to me. I had plenty of food, a warm place to sleep, and tons of new clothes. I found out that my father had been sending my grandmother $200/month since I was 5 years old. I had never seen a dime. When I began living with my aunt, he began sending her the payments. -
Adolescent Years
I returned to live with my grandmother because she said she was no longer drinking and seemed much nicer. Also my aunt was moving out of state to pursue her career and I didn't want to leave my friends and life behind. Worst mistake ever. -
Adolescent Years
9th grade at Pioneer High School. I was making new friends along with my old ones. I was taking some acclerated classes and doing well. I played varsity volleyball, ran track, and was a varsity cheerleader. I had never been one of the "popular" kids and things were going really well for me. -
Adolescent Years
10th grade had began aand things were rough in some areas and smooth in others. I had gotten my first real job working at Wendy's. My grandmother had gone back to her old ways and was locking me out and beating me when I wouldn't give her my paycheck. -
Adolescent Years
Imet my boyfriend Darrell who would later become my youngest daughter's father. He was 20 and I was 16. He took care of me and shielded me from harm. I callled him whenever my grandmother would lock me out. Eventually I moved in with him at his parents house. -
Adolescent Years
I preferred working to going to school and began attending less and less. I seldom went home to my grandmother's house. I had moved in completely with Darrell. -
Adolescent Years
It was my senior year and due to my sporadic attendence, I didn't have enough credits to graduate.So I signed myself out of school and took my GED. -
Adolescent Years
I moved back home and was soory I did. My grandmother had gotten drunk and atempted to stab me with a butcher knife. During our struggle, I pushed her down a flight of stairs. She broke her wrist and ankle. She was brought up on child abuse charges when the officers saw the large gash across my stomach. -
Adolescent Years
My grandmother had sent me outside to take out the trash. I had no jacket and slippers as the dumpster was in front of our house. She locked me out and refused to open the door. It was 30 degrees outside and I had no where to go. So I took a brick and smashed the patio window. She had me removed from the lease and a trespass was issued on me by the apartment complex we lived in. I went to a group home where I became a ward of the state until my 18th birthday. -
Adolescent Years
Kuame was of no help to me in aising our daughter. I worked at Burger King as a manager while he worked at dodging responsibilty and making more babies. -
Adolescent Years
I celebrated my 18th birthday with my best friend Renee and my male best friend Kuame. We had gotten to hotel suites to celebrate my big day of being released from the group home. That fateful night I became another statistic as I became pregnant with my daughter Aaliyah. -
Adolescent Years
I got my first apartment in subsidized housing. It was a 2 bedroom townhouse where my daughter's father Kuame and I lived anticipating the birth of our daughter. That lasted for 5 months as I found out another girl was pregnant also. Feeling depressed and alone, I took back my cheating ex Darrell. -
Adolescent Years
Aaliyah was born on December 8, 1997. I had recently began speaking to my grandmother after nearly a year of no communication. This time she really was clean and sober and a wonderful help to me with my new daughter. -
Adolescent Years
Kuame never helped me with the emotional or financial care of our daughter. With help from my family and best friend, the first year of motherhood wasn't as stressful as I'd feared. -
Adolescent Years
Darrell and I had gotten back together and would go back and forth in a relationship between us and other people for the next 2 years. -
Adulthood
I found out that I had become pregnant with my 2nd daughter Daleceia in Oct,1999. Darrell was not emotionally supportive as he was upset that my first daughter was not his. Although he acted in a fatherly role model for her, he was deeply resentful. -
Adulthood
Darrell and I moved in together. Things were tense between us as he kept carrying on with his another girl that he'd been with before he met me. They had a one month old daughter. He went back and forth between us for the next 9 months. -
Adulthood
Another girl had announced that she was pregnant by Darrell. At this point I'd had enough and refused to continue on in this nerve-wracking threesome. I broke up with Darrell for the final time. -
Adulthood
Darrell and I's daughter, Daleceia Noblin was born on6/4/00. It was bittersweet as her father and I were no longer together but I had met a new man who was accepting of both my daighters. -
Adulthood
My mother reappeared from California on Mother's Day 2001. We had meager communications throughout the years. According to her she had come back to try and have a relationship with me and her granddaughters. Really it meant she was running from someone or something and needded a place to stay. -
Adulthood
My mother called CPS to report that my boyfriend was living with me and molesting daughters' , which was an absolute lie. She was furious because I wouldn't make my boyfriend move out so she could move in, so she fabricated that lie. Thankfully, my worker had just done a home visit and saw thtat my children were well taken care of, so thee claim was unsubstantiated. -
Adulthood
I have the pleasure of discovering that my boyfriend was addicted to crack cocaine when I came home from work and found all my electronics missing. That relationship went down in flames also. -
Adulthood
I had started a new job at McDonald's and met a new prospective boyfriend. He was in a relationship that he wasn't happy in and wanted to wait until his premature son pulled thru his health crisis before leaving his kid's mother. -
Adulthood
Howard and I were together while I waited on him to leave his other kids' mother. This would go on for quite awhile -
ADULTHOOD
I had moved my maternal grandmother in with me as well as my maternal aunt and mother. My grandmother was in the early stages of Alzgeimer's, my aunt had recently had to move because her landlord had foreclosed on her home, and my mother had offered to help me care for my grandmother(her mother) and my kids. -
Adulthood
I made my mother move out because she was abusing my grandmother and stealing from her. My aunt was of no help because she worked 16 hrs a day/7 days a week, so I was caring for my grandmother and 5 & 3 year old daughters by myself. -
Adulthood
I had to place my grandmother in a nursing home because she wandered away while I was sleeping with my youngest daughter. She called a cab and went to a diner she used to eat at when she lived on her own. They were safe but I had realized that due to her rapidly deteriorating mental capacity I could no longer provide her with the care she needed. -
Adulthood
I find out that I'm pregnant with my 3rd child and Howard's 3rd also. He is not happy to say the least as he still is with his other kids' mother. He is not around for almost 2 months after finding about my pregnancy. -
Adulthood
I gave birth to my son Cortez Moss at 8:18am. His father isn't overjoyed, nor does he want to deal with the impact of my son's birth on his home life. His family on the other hand is very welcoming. -
Adulthood
I realize that my son isn't hitting his milestones like his siblings did. I take him to several specialists who all say the same thing... he has A.S.D. Autism Spectrum Disorder. It's incredibly frightening but a relief at the same time. I was able to understand why he had horrible bouts of separation anxiety when I would take him to daycare, why he preferred to be left alone, and why he avoided strangers and unknown situations. -
Adulthood
Cortez begins Headstart and has an IEP. He begins speaking a month after being in school. It would take another 2 years to have him toilet-trained, but his communication skills were my greatest worries. It was a joyuos day when he came home from school and told me" Today I made you a present Mommy!!!" -
Adulthood
Aaliyah (age 12) is struggling in school. Barely passing due to lack of effort on her part. Despite tutoring, punishment, and whatever I could think of, she just barely passes the 6th grade.. -
ADULTHOOD
I began attending Schoolcraft College. I wanted to become a Social Worker. It was hard at first as I hadn't attended school in 15 years but I welcomed the challenge. I also loved seeing the look of admiration in my daughters eyes when Iwas grabbing my bookbag and racing out the door after them to go to school. -
Adulthood
My youngest daughter Daleceia is a stellar student. Straight A's an dmltiple accolades from her teachers and peers. She's a quiet and thoughtful child with a giving heart and sparkling personality. -
ADULTHOOD
Cortez starts kidnergarten after 2 years after 2 years in EDDC. He's still behind his peers academically and socially, but progressing nonetheless. He is also diagnoseed as having ADHD. He begans making great strides in his learning capacity as now he's able to concentrate on his tasks at hand. -
Adulthood
I graduate from EMU with my Master Degree in Human Services. As the job market is sparse in Michigan I begin looking for work out of state. -
Adulthood
Howard and I are still together. I'm tired of him not following through on his promises and it's become evident that he had no plans to do as such. He's not a good partner but due to us being involved since my daughters' were 3 and 1 and our shared child in common, he's an excellent father figure. -
Adulthood
I have Aaliyah tested for various learning disorders. She is diagnosed with ADD and is put on Adderall, 20 mg. -
Adultthood
Daleceia attends the Gifted & Talented Program for her school district. Aaliyah begins the 8th grade, and Cortez begins the 1st. -
Adulthood
I graduate from Schoolcraft with an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts. I enroll in EMU to complete my B.S.W. Aaliyah begins high school at Willow Run High School, Daleceia continues her studies in The Gifted & Talented Program, and Cortex begins the 2nd grade. -
Adulthood
I graduate from EMU with my B.S.W. and continue my studies with my Master's Degree in Sociaal Work. -
Adulthood
I accept a job offer in Charleston, SC to work as a Social Workerr/ Guidance Counselor in an alternative school for disadvantaged youth. -
Adulthood
I arrange for my son Cortez who is now 10 years old to spend the majority of his school vacations with his father in Michigan. He has made great strides in his behavior in accordance with his autism. Although he understands why we're moving he is still apprehensive about being away from his father and everyone that he's known his entire life. -
Adulthood
Aaliyah and Daleceia begin the 10th and 12 grade at their new high school, while Cortez begins the 5th grade. Despite my innitial reservations about him haviing alot of difficulty in unfamiliar surroundings, he has minimal problems adjusting to his new environment. -
Adulthood
I open my own non-profit agency that helps young teenage girls reach their full potential by providing a Supervised Independent Program for them to live in w/ their child. My program provides counseling, life skills training, financial planning, a daycare, and GED preparation courses. -
Adulthood
Aaliyah graduates from high school with honors. She's offered a full scholarship to UNC which she accepts. She'll be playing basketball and running track. She plans on obtainig her degree in Education as she wants to be a teacher. -
Adulthood
Cortez ask to go live with his father as he misses him a great deal. At first I'm resentful but I come to understand and see that one of my wishes for my children was to make sure that they had a father in their lives who would always be there for them. After speaking with his father, we agree that it's time for Cortez to live with hids father full time. It hurts me to let my baby move over 800 miles away but the joy in his eyes when he saw his Father at the airport melted my heart. -
Adulthood
Daleceia is offered an oprtunity to study abroad in her junior year of high school. She was to go to Italy for 6 months to be emerged in another culture. She is excited to be chosen as one of 300 applicants to study abroad for her 11th grade year. As much ass I hate to see another one of my children leave the nest so early, I'm proud of her to receive such a prestigious opportunity. -
Adulthood
Cortez and Aaliyah both return home for their sister's graduation and OpenHouse. Aaliyah is doing well in her studies and Cortez is excited to be home with me. He tells me all about the various sports that he's in and his grades. We talk everyday via webcam and have sincce he left to go with his father. -
Adulthood
Daleceia graduates as valedictorian of her senior class. She receives many offers from several top schools to study but she too, chooses to stay home and attend UNC so she can be close to me. She follows in my footsteps and pursues her degree inHuman Services. -
Adulthood
Seeing as though all of my children are pursuing their interest s in life, I decide to go back to school to obtain my PhD in Human Services. Within 18 months, I'm now addressed as Dr. Chinyere Moss PhD. -
Late Adulthood
Cortez graduates from high school and accepts a scholarship to play football and attend LSU. He plans to major in Law. -
Late Adulthood
Daleceia and Aaliyah have both graduated and haver returned home to help me run my non profit. Daleceia oversees thee counseling as ahe is now a Clinical Social Worker, and Aaliyah oversees the new school that I'm having integrated into my non-profit. -
Late Adulthood
For my 45th birthday, my children surprisee me with the deed to my own home, fully paid for. They take over the day to day operations so that I can sit back enjoy the fruits of my labor. -
Late Adulthood
Cortez graduates from law school and returns to South Carolina to be closer to me. To my surprise, he takes his Bar Exam in SC and joins the family business as the lawyer who oversees legal matters that the girls may have. He does this for me pro bono as he accepts a job with District Attorney's Office. -
Middle Age
Despite a long battle with ovarian cancer. I close my eyes and drift onto my Afterlife. I'm not sad to leave my children at such an early age. I raised them to the best of my ability and they grew into the best children any mother could be blessed with. As I leave this world, I know that my children will continue to do me proud as they were and would always be the best part of my life. -
Middle Age
Daleceia is married in a quiet and private ceremony. Her brother gives her away. -
Middle Age
Daleceia givves birth to my first grandchild. A little girl.
