بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As we know, Allah the Most High tests His servants in different ways, and among them is one’s health. Allah blessed us with a son who seemed to be a normally developing child like any other. However, after taking the vaccine, which was part of the Saudi visa/iqama requirements at the time, we observed many negative changes, and his overall development regressed.

For many, seeking knowledge in the beloved city of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is a dream come true, which of course comes with many tests and obstacles. However, we did not envision having a child with autism would be one of them. During our time in Madinah, our family has faced significant difficulties due to our child’s condition. Our child is non-verbal and unable to communicate his needs, and he has no sense of danger awareness. He frequently attempts to walk or run away without understanding the risks, both in public places like Masjid an-Nabawi and from home. He often has sleepless nights, resulting in a lack of sleep for everyone in the household, making studying during the day at the Jami‘ah/university very difficult and stressful, along with many other challenges.

We have recently come to know of a very promising treatment that tackles and improves autism called stem cell therapy. This therapy has shown remarkable results for children, with studies reporting up to 85% improvement in symptoms and a very high chance of improving overall quality of life.

For our son, this could mean a future with better communication, more stability in his emotions and behavior, and the chance to participate more fully in family and daily life. For us as parents, it offers real hope where we have often felt helpless.

As we know, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The upper hand (the one that spends in charity) is better than the lower hand (the one that asks for charity).”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, 1429)

We never thought we would be in a situation where we would have to reach out and ask. However, the total cost of the treatment is €13,500 ($15,900), which unfortunately we cannot afford due to our financial situation. Therefore, we are reaching out to our family, friends, and fellow brothers and sisters to ask for help in making this life-changing therapy possible for our son.

We ask that if the reader of this message is not able to help financially, at the very least please do not forget our son in your du‘a, and that Allah the Most High grants him complete shifā’ (cure and recovery).