'Nobody knows what it is like to have to do CPR on your own child': Devastated parents speak out after their 407 pound teen and his sister die within four months

A distraught Tennessee couple have denied they neglected their parental duties after their 407lbs 15-year-old son died and his chronically ill sister passed away just four months later.

Despite losing their remaining 12-year-old daughter to a care home, Derek and Sherry Head are adamant that they are good parents - reminding authorities they have buried two of their children after doing everything they could for them.

'Nobody knows what it is like to have to do CPR on your own child,' said an emotional Sherry as she spoke about her daughter Tamara. 'I wouldn’t go through it again, not in a million years. I done everything I could … to bring her back'

Derek and Sherry Head at their home in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee - they deny any neglect of their disabled children who died within four months of each other last year

However, after the consecutive deaths of morbidly obese Adam, 15, who weighed 407 pounds in April and his sister from cystic fibrosis in July, concerns across child welfare in Red Boiling Springs have grown.

Both Derek and Sherry were unable to work due to illness and the Tennessean newspaper, which conducted an investigation into the teenagers deaths, raising the point that child welfare services might have neglected the children along with the parents.

'If you’re looking to lay blame on somebody, a lot of people could be blamed,' said Gerald Papica, state ombudsman for children and families to the Tennessean. 

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'There could be a dozen people who knew about it. Probably, some of these people were helping these parents.

'The community, somehow,' he said, 'becomes desensitized.'

Diagnosed with the chronic lung condition cystic fibrosis in 2002, Tamara was investigated by the Division of Child Support (DCS) after she was found wondering alone at a trailer park when she was aged five.

The Head's second child, Adam suffered from developmental issues and struggled with learning and speech - growing to 450 pounds.

'He was like a teddy bear,' said Sherry.

Adam Head (left) ballooned to 405 pounds before his death following seizure in March 2012 - while Tamara Head (right) died in July 2012 after also suffering a seizure and apparent stimulant overdose

Both parents did not work and relied on food stamps and the disability checks Adam and Tamara were issued by the government.

They supplemented that income by scrapping metal and mowing lawns. Neither parent qualified for state disability payments.

'It was kinda hard for me and Derek to shop because we had to get foods for Adam that wasn’t fattening and foods for Tamara that had a whole lot of fattening in it to help her gain weight,' said Sherry.

In 2009, someone told DCS that the children were not being looked after properly - so someone came to investigate.

'She said she didn’t see no problem, that we had done all we could for our children,' explained Sherry.

'She said, ‘Instead of people picking on you all,’ she said, ‘I think they should help you.’ That was her words.'

However, the descent of Adam caused his health needs to go unanswered. He had a history of mild mental retardation, sleep apnea, an unknown thyroid problem and morbid obesity, records show.

By November 2011, his appetite had become such an issue that doctors told the Heads to nail down every cupboard and chain the refrigerator.

Derek and Sherry Head were investigated by police - however, no charges were pressed - but child welfare services took away their remaining 12-year-old child after the deaths of their elder children last year

By March 2012 his health had deteriorated to such an extent that as the family traveled to the Clay County Library Sherry noticed Adam turning pale and struggling to breathe.

On the way to hospital he suffered a seizure, and his last words were, 'Am I going to remember you and Daddy?'

Tragically, Adam died from a pulmonary embolism and the medical examiner ruled his death to be of natural causes and listed morbid obesity as a contributing factor.

However, tragedy struck again just four months later in July when at 3.29 a,m. on the morning of July 19th, paramedics arrived at the Head's home to find Tamara unresponsive - with blood pouring from her nose.

Again, the Heads had phone for help when their child began seizing and when the first attempt to revive her was unsuccessful they attempted to revive the girl by throwing water on her.

The Heads told paramedics they did not know what had caused the attack, according to the DCS case file.

However, the Head's youngest sister told the DCS that Tamara had overdosed on Adderall - a drug used to control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The possibility of a drug overdose was not mentioned by police or paramedics in their reports, according to the medical examiner who performed an autopsy - but a paramedic did note that the home was in a foul condition with food and cockroaches lying everywhere.

Tennessee Division of Child Support (DCS)

In addition, the surviving 12-year-old child told investigators that Tamara became sick at 11 p.m. - four hours before the 911 call was made.

And the girl said it was she, not a parent, who called.

'Nobody knows what it is like to have to do CPR on your own child,' Sherry said to the Tennessean, as she began to cry. “

'I wouldn’t go through it again, not in a million years. I done everything I could … to bring her back.'

The Child Protective Investigative Team in Tennessee concluded that the Heads were responsible for neglect in Tamara's case, but not Adama's and their 12-year-old girl was taken away from them.

They have not been charged.

According to the Tennessean the Heads said they are trying to abide by the court orders and DCS demands that could return the child.

'They’ve been under pressure to pay child support and have had to complete IQ tests and undergo a home inspection.

“They twist around what the truth is and don’t take time to talk to the parents to know what’s going on,” Derek said. “They didn’t live with us. They didn’t know what we were doing.

'It’s strange that two kids died within five months, but Adam was natural causes and Tamara was accidental,' he added.

'It’s very difficult when you lose your oldest daughter and oldest son.'