What is the ruling on a woman traveling out of necessity without a mahram?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This is a woman asking, and she says: I am a consultant physician, and my mother needs a kidney transplant in America. I am a consultant doctor, and my mother is under my care for the kidney transplant. All the procedures have been completed up to the point of seeking my brother’s permission. He is the mahram with us every week. They say it will be completed in the following week. The question is: Can I travel with my mother, and then my brother catch up with us afterward, given the importance of time in this situation?

Answer:
A woman does not travel except with a mahram. You must try to obtain the mahram’s visa by any means. Contact people of good character and those who have influence with the officials in charge of visas to explain the necessity you are in. I do not think, if Allah wills, that people of good character will fall short in this if they know your situation. I do not think they will fall short in this. So, have one of the people of good character ask the visa officials and explain your situation to them.