Aslamoalikum, brothers and sisters.

My name is Shayan Ahmed Latif. My wife Fiza Riaz and I are reaching out to you during one of the most difficult experiences any parent could face.

We are a small family of four — the two of us and our two young sons, Hashim and Abdullah.

We were living a happy and stable life in Maryland. Alhamdulillah, everything was good. After our younger son Abdullah was born, we noticed he cried more than we expected — more than we had experienced with our first son. We mentioned this to the hospital staff before discharge and later to our pediatrician. Each time, we were reassured that it was normal.

Days later, when we noticed swelling on our baby's head, we rushed him to the emergency room immediately. It was there that we learned he had injuries. We were shocked. We had no idea our baby was injured.

Despite seeking medical help ourselves and cooperating fully from the very beginning, an investigation was opened, and both of our children were placed in foster care.

It has now been nearly two months since we have been together as a family.

We have maintained contact with our children through supervised visits. Our children are currently placed with a caregiver who respects our Muslim faith — a small mercy during an otherwise devastating time, though nothing can replace being together as a family.

As Pakistani immigrants whose first language is not English, we have sometimes struggled to express ourselves clearly during this process — but we have always been honest and cooperative.

We do have legal representation, but we are facing significant and mounting legal costs as we work through both family court proceedings and the ongoing investigation. Cases like this require extensive resources — including medical experts, investigators, and attorney fees — that can quickly reach tens of thousands of dollars.

This fundraiser is intended solely to help cover these legal expenses.

Out of respect for the ongoing legal process and our children's privacy, we are limited in what details we can share publicly at this time.

Any support — whether through a donation, a share, or a dua — would mean the world to us.

We are fighting to be reunited with our children. We cannot do it alone.

JazakAllah Khair. Thank you for standing with our family.