'American Idol' 's Syesha Mercado Tears Up as She Speaks About Losing Custody of Kids: 'It Hurts So Bad'

"I'm just missing out on so many precious moments — this is such a precious time," Syesha Mercado said

American Idol alum Syesha Mercado and her partner Tyron Deener are speaking out after losing custody of their two young children, 18-month-old son Amen'Ra and 2-week-old daughter Ast.

In a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Mercado, 34, broke down in tears as she reflected on "missing out on so many precious moments" with her children, who have been placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

"I am a first-time mom and I've been deprived of holding my babies, and feeding my babies," she tearfully 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."

"I'm just missing out on so many precious moments — this is such a precious time," the singer continued. "I feel my daughter. I feel when she's hungry and know when she's crying. And I can't do anything. She's not here with me."

"I'm supposed to be loving my babies," she said. "I've been deprived of that and I don't know how to articulate it. It hurts so bad."

Mercado and Deener's newborn daughter was taken from their custody on Wednesday by deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, PEOPLE can confirm.

Syesha Mercado and Tyron Denee
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Mercado previously recorded a video of the interaction with the deputies, during which she and Deener received a court order to turn over their baby girl for a hospital checkup despite their claims that they have paperwork proving she had gone the day before.

The incident came five months after the couple's eldest child was, in Mercado's words, "forcefully and legally kidnapped" by the Florida Department of Children and Families on March 11.

Mercado claimed on her GoFundMe page that she had taken her son to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in Florida for fluids while transitioning from breastfeeding to the bottle due to her pregnancy when Child Protective Services took the boy.

"On March 11th, our sun Amen'Ra was forcefully and legally kidnapped from us by CPS, who claim we refused a B12 shot that was a matter of life and death, which is an absolute lie," she alleged in the page's description. "We never refused a B12 shot, and at no point was he on the verge of death."

Randy Warren, a spokesperson for the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, told PEOPLE that authorities began an investigation into the matter after receiving a tip about a child who was "suffering from severe malnutrition."

According to Warren, the parents "refused to cooperate" and a judge ordered the child to be placed in the custody of Child Protective Services. The case was then handed over to Safe Children's Coalition, who handled the decision to "shelter a second child born into the parent's care."

Warren said that deputies from the sheriff's office "executed a pick-up order signed by a family court judge" last week after "repeated attempts to make contact with the parents."

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The child remains in state protection following an August 12 court hearing, according to the Miami Herald-Tribune.

During Tuesday's press conference, Mercado and Deener denied allegations that they had mistreated 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. We have not done anything that is irresponsible as parents."

"Our life revolves around health, balance and doing what we can to guide our children," he said. "Nothing that we do is detrimental to our babies."

Added Mercado, "I went somewhere to get assistance, my baby was supposed to come home with me. We should have never been criminalized for getting assistance for something."

In a statement provided to PEOPLE, Captain Dennis E. Romano Jr. of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office's Child Protection Investigations Division noted, "Child Protective Services does not shelter children from families with the intent to keep them separated for long. The child welfare system is a social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material wellbeing of persons in need."

Syesha Mercado attends the 68th Annual Tony Awards Gala at The Plaza Hotel on June 8, 2014 in New York City
Jemal Countess/Getty

"We are governed by numerous policies and laws to ensure we do not lose focus when dealing with vulnerable families. The last thing anyone in this business wants to do is shelter children from their parents, but sometimes it is the only direction we are forced to take. By law, we always attempt to shelter children with another family member prior to any other placement," the statement read.

"We and/or our partners offer the guidance to parents for them to successfully reach goals necessary for timely reunification. Time frames for reunification vary, but the willingness of parents and/or guardians to complete the steps necessary to ensure a healthy and safe family dynamic are essential to a quick reunification of all families."

The Florida Department of Children and Families did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital previously provided PEOPLE with the following statement: "Our first priority at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital is always the safety and privacy of our patients and their families. Therefore, we strictly follow privacy laws that limit the amount of information we can release regarding this particular case. However, we can say that our first responsibility is always to the child brought to us for care, and we are legally obligated to notify the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when we detect signs of possible abuse or neglect. It is DCF that investigates the situation and makes the ultimate decision about what course of action is in the best interests of the child."

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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