Syesha Mercado and her partner Tyron Deener have officially been reunited with their toddler son Amen’Ra after Florida CPS took custody of the child in early March.
The American Idol season 7 alum and her partner announced the good news in an Instagram video today (Oct 1). While Syesha played with Amen’Ra in the backseat of a car being driven by a lawyer, Deener addressed the camera.
Amen’Ra is home, but the ordeal is not over
Although they regained custody of their son, Deener warns that “it’s not over with.” Aman’Ra is back in their arms, but the couple still has to contend with 6 months of supervision from the state of Florida. CPS supervision entails weekly visits from authorities who will determine whether the couple are “competent and able to raise our own baby.”
After thanking their lawyers and other people that helped them through difficult months, Deener namechecked several parents who are still waiting to gain back custody of their children. “It’s a domino effect,” he said, believing that they too, will also be reunited with their children.
“Evil can no longer prevail..in this reality. Spell evil backwards, and you got to live.” He cautions people to not allow fear to “resonate in your heart.” He adds, “My message to the system, CPS, the whole child welfare system–you better start listening to the needs of the people. Start being civil servants and doing what you can to help people.”
Authorities including social workers used intimidation tactics to keep the couple from following a “holistic” lifestyle, Deener claims.
“Speak up when something is wrong and do something about it,” he says.
Deener promises that everyone who participated in keeping Amen’Ra away from them, including the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, “will be held accountable.” He describes judges and social workers who threatened them and tried to use “intimidation tactics” against them, to “modify my family’s behavior from being holistic and all natural.” He insists that “nothing can change us from living our truth.”
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Florida CPS took custody of Amen’Ra back in March, while Syesha was pregnant with her daughter AST and having trouble breastfeeding the boy. After taking taking him to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg with dehydration issues, CPS took custody of him, placing him in foster care.
Doctors claimed Amen’Ra would die without intervention
Investigators claimed that doctors called CPS due to concerns over Amen’Ra’s failing health. “Our investigators learned through medical professionals that this child was malnourished, underweight, very unhealthy, and we were also told by these medical professionals that unless he got the treatment that he needed, ongoing, consistent treatment, that he would die,” Randy Warren, the public information officer with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office told FOX network’s Tampa Bay affiliate at the time.
CPS took custody of Syesha’s daughter for a short time after her birth
Then, in August, the singer posted a dramatic Instagram video captioned “THEY TOOK ARE BABY AGAIN” The clip, shot with a smartphone, documented authorities taking the couple’s baby away after their car is pulled over.
The nearly 1 hour and 10 minute video shows Syesha and her partner arguing with authorities before they take her crying infant away. The authorities insisted that they intervened after the family wouldn’t allow CPS to do a check in. Syesha claimed she was willing to allow CPS in her home, but they had to work through her lawyer. Syesha sobbed and screamed after authorities took her baby out of her arms.
Nine days later, Syesha regained custody of her baby daughter.
Fortunately Syesha and her partner had plenty of resources to fight Florida CPS. After the video of their infant daughter being taken away went viral, donations poured into their GoFundMe. The fundraiser has amassed more than $465K in funds at this time.
