American Idol Finalist Syesha Mercado Reunited With Her Newborn Daughter

On Saturday, Syesha Mercado and her partner Tyron Deener have finally reunited with their newborn daughter. The couple lost custody of the infant on August 11, just 10 days after her birth.

In an Instagram video posted Friday, Mercado and Deener thanked their attorneys and the public for their support. According to NBC News, Mercado and her partner continue to fight for custody of their toddler son, Amen’Ra.

Watch the video below:

Manatee County sheriff’s deputies took their daughter in a roadside welfare check. The agency had gotten court orders to conduct a welfare investigation and remove the child for a hospital checkup. Mercado and Deener were told that they could not take their daughter to the hospital themselves. Deener captured the horrible interaction on Instagram live.

Six months prior, authorities placed their son in foster care because of medical neglect allegations. The toddler was struggling to transition from breastmilk to solids. The sheriff’s office said there was a concern for the child’s welfare after hospital staff reported he was suffering from malnutrition.

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At a press conference with their attorneys on Tuesday, the couple revealed that their two children were together in an estranged relative’s care. The couple was allowed to visit them once a week.

From NBC News:

“We still got work to do to get Ra back,” Deener said in the video, thanking the public and their attorneys.

“Just know through the people, through you all we were able to counteract this unjust system and this corruption to be able to get our baby back.”

The couple could not immediately be reached for comment on Saturday.

Deener said last week that he and Mercado believe they are being targeted for raising their children in a Black vegan lifestyle.