This is the real-life story of one mother's courageous journey to find and save her son.

In late 2012, orthopaedic surgeon Dr Abbas Khan left his home to treat fleeing victims of the Syrian conflict on the Turkish border. Three weeks later, his family received news that he was missing, after having crossed the border to work in a hospital in Aleppo.

Abbas' family struggled to get the Foreign Office to take action, and dealt with smears suggesting that Abbas had instead volunteered to fight. Finally his mother Fatima decided they would have to travel to Syria themselves.

Her children were UK nationals and couldn't get visas, but Fatima's joint Indian nationality gave her alone the chance to go.

So she went alone.

Based on Fatima Khan's testimony, this adaptation for Radio 4 is by Saleyha Ahsan with Sudha Bhuchar, who also stars as Fatima Khan.

Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting. Show less