Toronto

Syed Adam Ahmed's mother contacted by dozens of families with similar stories

The mother of a six-year-old Markham, Ont., boy with a "deemed high profile" label beside his name in airports has become an unofficial liason between federal cabinet members and concerned families.

21 names included in letter sent to federal government after boy found on no-fly list

Khadija Cajee, the mother of a six-year-old boy deemed a travel risk, has become an unofficial liaison between the Liberal government and concerned families. (CBC)

It turns out the little Ontario boy who's been having trouble boarding airplanes is far from alone.

The whirlwind of publicity about six-year-old Syed Adam Ahmed's difficulty at the airport has prompted dozens of other families with similar stories to contact Khadija Cajee, the boy's mother.

Twenty-one of them agreed to be mentioned in a letter that Cajee has sent to federal cabinet ministers involved in the high-profile issue.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale promised to investigate after Adam's father, Sulemaan Ahmed, tweeted a photo from Toronto's international airport that appeared to show the boy's name with a "DHP" or "deemed high profile" label and instructions on how to proceed before allowing the youngster to check in.

They were trying to board an Air Canada flight Dec. 31, 2015, to Boston to see the NHL Winter Classic.

Tales of other children with the same sorts of travel challenges soon emerged. And now Adam's mother has become an unofficial liaison with the Liberal government on behalf of many families.