In a new update, American Idol Finalist Syesha Mercado and her husband have reunited with their son after months and months of having him with the State.
In August, we received a glimpse of hope when Syesha and her partner Tyrone Deener had the chance to do a supervised visitation outside at a park with their son.
She shared Via People:
“It was just so refreshing to be in the sun with our son and to have him feel the rays on his skin and have him experience his culture — us drumming to him, us singing to him, us holding him and just being completely present,” she said.
In a video, Mercado filmed 18-month-old ‘Ra cuddling up to his mother as she held him in her arms and sang to him.
“All of the affirmation, all of the prayers, all of the positive thinking and mantras, they’re shifting the energy and they’re doing exactly what needs to be done in order to bring our baby home,” she said.
“Literally I envision and I imagine him every day walking in that door just so happy and saying ‘Mama.'”
Mercado announced on Aug. 20 that she and Deneer had been reunited with their newborn daughter Ast one week after they lost custody of the child, and in the week since have been fighting to finally bring their son home as well.
Mercado alleged that the boy was “forcefully and legally kidnapped by CPS” on March 11 amid claims that she and Deneer denied him a B12 shot “that was a matter of life and death, which is an absolute lie,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page.
The new parents had taken the child to a Florida hospital in late February to help him get additional fluids while Mercado transitioned from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding due to her pregnancy.
Randy Warren, a spokesperson for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, previously told PEOPLE that an investigation was launched after authorities receiving a tip about a child who was “suffering from severe malnutrition.”
Ultimately the child, by order of a judge, was sheltered and treatment took place,” Warren said. “The parents refused to cooperate.”
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Children and Families previously told PEOPLE that while specific case information is confidential, the department’s actions “are always to ensure the well-being of children.”
In a press conference held on Aug. 17, Deneer denied any allegations that he and Mercado had abused their children.
“The only thing that we have ever done as parents is make responsible decisions, loving decisions,” Deener said. “We have not committed any crime. We have not abused our babies.”
“Our life revolves around health, balance and doing what we can to guide our children,” he added. “Nothing that we do is detrimental to our babies.”
Mercado, meanwhile, grew emotional as she spoke about having both of her children taken from her.
“I am a first-time mom and I’ve been deprived of holding my babies, and feeding my babies,” she said. “I didn’t get to see Ra say mama for the first time.
I didn’t get to see my babies meet for the first time. I didn’t get to see that and I can’t go back and redo that moment. I will never be able to go back and redo that moment.”
After fighting tooth and nail, Syesha and Tyrone finally received their son as evidenced by a new Instagram post.
Dad Tyrone Deener, shared they now have to do six months of weekly State visits to ensure that the couple is competent enough to care for the children.
watch his update below:
View this post on Instagram
With all that said, we are so happy the family is back together, we can’t imagine spending almost a year trying to get your child out of a system that you went to for help in the first place.
If it is the same hospital system in Florida where I was knocked down and hit by a SUV they treated me as if I was faking and pretending to be hurt to fall a lawsuit, I was a women over
a certain age who was knocked down and hit by a car and rushed to the hospital, the nursing staff and admission staff were very rude and obnoxious, a mother and daughter witnessed this and was appalled at how rude they were to me. I was visiting Florida and had no family there and I was released with crutches with no way to get back to my rental car. I managed to call Uber to get back to my hotel, because I could not drive and the Uber driver helped me with my work gear and got me to my hotel. I have traveled quite a bit and lived in Alabama for a few years, Florida is the worse racist treatment I have ever received!
Oh my goodness Tina! That’s crazy, they really need to do something about these people, at this point its a pattern! I’m so sorry you went through that.