When Shahnaz went into labour, her husband Abdul called a taxi to take them to the only medical facility accessible to them.
She was in a lot pain, he says.
A 20-minute drive away, the clinic was in Shesh Pol village in Afghanistan's north-eastern Badakhshan province. It was where their two older children were born.
Abdul sat next to Shahnaz comforting her as they drove over gravel tracks to reach help.
But when we reached the clinic, we saw that it was closed. I didn't know it had shut down, he said, his face crumpling with agony.
Warning: Readers may find some details in this article distressing.
The clinic in Shesh Pol is one of more than 400 medical facilities that closed down in Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest countries, after the Trump administration cut nearly all US aid to the country earlier this year, in a drastic and abrupt move following the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
A single-storey structure with four small rooms, white paint peeling off its walls, the Shesh Pol clinic had USAID posters tacked up everywhere with information and guidance for pregnant women and new mothers.
It doesn't look like much but in Badakhshan's mountainous, unforgiving terrain, where a lack of access has been a major reason for historically high maternal mortality rates, the clinic was a critical lifeline, part of a wider programme to reduce maternal and newborn deaths.
It had a trained midwife who assisted around 25-30 deliveries every month. It also provided basic healthcare services.
Other medical facilities are simply too far from Abdul's village, and it was risky for Shahnaz to travel on bumpy roads. Abdul also didn't have money to pay for a longer journey - renting the taxi cost 1,000 Afghani ($14.65; £12.70), roughly a quarter of his monthly income as a labourer. So they decided to return home.
But the baby was coming and we had to stop by the side of the road, Abdul said.
Shahnaz delivered their baby girl in the car. Shortly after, she died, bleeding profusely. A few hours later, before she could be named, their baby also died.
I wept and screamed. My wife and child could've been saved if the clinic was open, said Abdul. We had a hard life, but we were living it together. I was always happy when I was with her.
There's no certainty they would have survived even if treated, but without the clinic, they didn't stand a chance, highlighting the dire consequences of US aid cuts.
For decades, the US has been the largest donor to Afghanistan, making up a staggering 43% of all aid to the country in 2024. The Trump administration justified the withdrawal of support, citing concerns about the funding benefiting terrorist groups, including the Taliban.
The Taliban denies any involvement with aid funds, claiming international organizations distribute assistance directly.
The harsh policies of the Taliban, particularly against women, have compounded healthcare challenges. With clinics closing, maternal mortality rates are soaring, and Afghan women risk childbirth without medical care.
The tragic deaths of Shahnaz and her baby are part of a larger crisis faced by many families in regions deprived of essential health services.
