A 21-year-old Philadelphia woman who never fought with her sister and was known for making homemade applesauce for her grandmother has been missing since Jan. 2 and state Rep. Margo Davidson, D-164, of Upper Darby, helped hand out hundreds of fliers Saturday while giving exposure to the family in the hopes of finding their loved one.
Fatima Rahman was last seen Jan. 2 in her family's University City home, two days after family members said her medication was increased to ease her schizophrenia.
"Jan. 2 she went out and she never came back," her father, Mohammad Rahman, said."She took nothing," Farzana Rahman, Fatima's 19-year-old sister said, including a wallet with $61 in it. "She didn't take her glasses, she didn't take a jacket. A sweater, flats and a blue scarf. Those are the only things that are missing."
On Saturday, family and friends of Fatima canvassed Upper Darby with 500 fliers bearing the young woman's picture.Davidson, who was among those, said she is crafting legislation to simulate the Florida Silver Alert law that works like the Amber Alert for children, except that it's for those with Alzheimer's. Davidson is talking about including those with certain mental conditions to have that type of response.
"We need to do a little bit more to help find adults who are compromised in some way to make sure that we get the same kind of alert system going for those persons as well," she said. "I will continue to look with this family until she is found."
Farzana Rahman said she was helping one of her brothers fill out his college applications the night of Jan. 1 and when she went to bed, she saw Fatima sleeping.
When their mom returned home from work, she asked, "Where's Fatima?"
No one knew. They called the police and were told to wait 24 hours.The only time previously Rahman had gone missing was about six months earlier.
"She took her phone and she ended up in Germantown somehow," her sister said. "She found a police station and she told them, 'I don't know where I am. Could you call my parents?' That's the type of person that she is. She would always try to come home."Farzana Rahman said her sister had never been missing overnight.
"Every day, there are three search groups of seven people each, over 21 people looking for her, putting up posters," she said. "There were some possible sightings of her around the Gallery area but we searched that area and the surrounding areas for days. I still cannot believe that there have not been any leads. A person doesn't just disappear."
Although the incident occurred in Philadelphia, Upper Darby Superintendent Mike Chitwood said they would assist city detectives in any way possible. Rahman lived in Upper Darby for a couple of years and much of her family still lives here.
"If there's anything at all we can do, we will do," he said.
State Rep. Ron Waters, D-191, of Philadelphia said he's been communicating with city police.
"They are working diligently to find out where she is," he said. "So far, they haven't had any solid leads on her."
In the meantime, the family grapples with the uncertainty.
Mohammad Rahman said he and his family came to the United States from Bangladesh in 1995. Relatives still there don't understand why his daughter hasn't been found.
"You are in a great country where they have all that technology," he said they tell him. "How come they can't find Fatima?"
It's a question for which he wishes he had an answer."Everybody, they can't say it but they feel it," he said as tears fell softly from his face.
Pointing to Farzana, he said, "The other night, I saw her crying. She cannot sleep because her sister is not there."Farzana, who is studying environmental science at Drexel University where Fatima was studying chemistry, is taking a leave of absence."I'm just moving back home to be with my family," she said as the search continues for the sister she loved so dearly."I feel like she was always the best sister; we never fought," Farzana Rahman said. "I would get annoyed with her because I would fight with her and she would never fight back.
"I'm just very hopeful that she's here, that some kind soul has taken care of her," she said. "It's been so cold. I don't know how a person can survive without eating for 37 days, but I'm just hoping that someone has her."If she had the chance, Farzana knows what she'd say to her missing sister.
"I just really want her to come home," she said. "I miss her so much."
If anyone has any information on the disappearance of Fatima Rahman, please call the Philadelphia Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or Upper Darby police at 610-734-3439. She is described as 5-feet, 1-inch tall, about 120 pounds, with brown eyes, olive skin and shoulder-length black hair. She was last seen wearing a red sweater, a blue head scarf and blue jeans.
Above Media Report by
Fatima Rahman was last seen Jan. 2 in her family's University City home, two days after family members said her medication was increased to ease her schizophrenia.
"Jan. 2 she went out and she never came back," her father, Mohammad Rahman, said."She took nothing," Farzana Rahman, Fatima's 19-year-old sister said, including a wallet with $61 in it. "She didn't take her glasses, she didn't take a jacket. A sweater, flats and a blue scarf. Those are the only things that are missing."
On Saturday, family and friends of Fatima canvassed Upper Darby with 500 fliers bearing the young woman's picture.Davidson, who was among those, said she is crafting legislation to simulate the Florida Silver Alert law that works like the Amber Alert for children, except that it's for those with Alzheimer's. Davidson is talking about including those with certain mental conditions to have that type of response.
"We need to do a little bit more to help find adults who are compromised in some way to make sure that we get the same kind of alert system going for those persons as well," she said. "I will continue to look with this family until she is found."
Farzana Rahman said she was helping one of her brothers fill out his college applications the night of Jan. 1 and when she went to bed, she saw Fatima sleeping.
When their mom returned home from work, she asked, "Where's Fatima?"
No one knew. They called the police and were told to wait 24 hours.The only time previously Rahman had gone missing was about six months earlier.
"She took her phone and she ended up in Germantown somehow," her sister said. "She found a police station and she told them, 'I don't know where I am. Could you call my parents?' That's the type of person that she is. She would always try to come home."Farzana Rahman said her sister had never been missing overnight.
"Every day, there are three search groups of seven people each, over 21 people looking for her, putting up posters," she said. "There were some possible sightings of her around the Gallery area but we searched that area and the surrounding areas for days. I still cannot believe that there have not been any leads. A person doesn't just disappear."
Although the incident occurred in Philadelphia, Upper Darby Superintendent Mike Chitwood said they would assist city detectives in any way possible. Rahman lived in Upper Darby for a couple of years and much of her family still lives here.
"If there's anything at all we can do, we will do," he said.
State Rep. Ron Waters, D-191, of Philadelphia said he's been communicating with city police.
"They are working diligently to find out where she is," he said. "So far, they haven't had any solid leads on her."
In the meantime, the family grapples with the uncertainty.
Mohammad Rahman said he and his family came to the United States from Bangladesh in 1995. Relatives still there don't understand why his daughter hasn't been found.
"You are in a great country where they have all that technology," he said they tell him. "How come they can't find Fatima?"
It's a question for which he wishes he had an answer."Everybody, they can't say it but they feel it," he said as tears fell softly from his face.
Pointing to Farzana, he said, "The other night, I saw her crying. She cannot sleep because her sister is not there."Farzana, who is studying environmental science at Drexel University where Fatima was studying chemistry, is taking a leave of absence."I'm just moving back home to be with my family," she said as the search continues for the sister she loved so dearly."I feel like she was always the best sister; we never fought," Farzana Rahman said. "I would get annoyed with her because I would fight with her and she would never fight back.
"I'm just very hopeful that she's here, that some kind soul has taken care of her," she said. "It's been so cold. I don't know how a person can survive without eating for 37 days, but I'm just hoping that someone has her."If she had the chance, Farzana knows what she'd say to her missing sister.
"I just really want her to come home," she said. "I miss her so much."
If anyone has any information on the disappearance of Fatima Rahman, please call the Philadelphia Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or Upper Darby police at 610-734-3439. She is described as 5-feet, 1-inch tall, about 120 pounds, with brown eyes, olive skin and shoulder-length black hair. She was last seen wearing a red sweater, a blue head scarf and blue jeans.
Above Media Report by
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