There are times when a missing persons case may touch more than just the immediate family. It could end up touching the entire country or maybe even the world.

That is how many people who heard about the mysterious disappearance of 3-year-old Madeleine McCann felt, as it seemed as if it was a very personal thing to all of us. She disappeared from her bed in an apartment in Portugal back in 2007.

17 years have passed and the case is still unsolved down to this day. Despite the fact that things are looking good, the family says that they will continue searching until they discover what has happened to her.

The little girl’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann have worked very hard over the years to try to find the person or issues that surrounded the disappearance of their little girl. Now that 17 years have passed, they are speaking out with a heartbreaking update.

It all started when the 3-year-old girl was asleep at the time in her bedroom. Her parents left her and her twin sibling asleep while they went to eat at a nearby restaurant with friends. Upon returning, the little girl was gone and the search would span continents.

International support poured in to assist the Portuguese authorities who were heading up the investigation. It wasn’t long before this became one of the largest missing persons investigations that ever took place.

It wasn’t without its problems, and mistakes that happened early on along with many different theories kept progress to a minimum. Despite the fact that there was international media coverage that made this a very high-profile case, they still don’t know where little Madeleine is.

Over the years, a number of leads have come in but none of them have produced enough evidence to make them conclusive. There have also been many theories and speculations that surround the case as well. Many people have even debated the police procedures and witness statements that came in.

Through it all, the parents have always looked for an answer and advocated for keeping the efforts going. They started the Find Madeleine campaign and worked hard with it to try to find their little girl.

Even though 17 years have passed, many of us still remember the moment that it happened. For Kate and Gerry, it has been a real test of endurance and faith that kept them going over the years. The mother even said that she fought with feelings of abandonment by a higher power, despite her strong faith.

Her book, Madeleine, which was released in 2011 says: “There have been many times when I’ve felt God has deserted me or that He has let Madeleine down. I’ve occasionally doubted His existence altogether. And yes, I’ve been angry with Him…

“For now, though, at least, my anger towards God seems to have subsided. I believe in Him and I still feel His presence.”

She also wrote the following in her memoir: “The first [problem] was my inability to permit myself any pleasure, whether it be reading a book or making love to my husband. The second stemmed from the revulsion stirred up by my fear that Madeleine had suffered the worst fate we could imagine.”

There was a voicemail that was left on the Scotland Yard answering machine that set things into motion. Detective Constable Mark Draycott spoke about that issue, which led to the identification of a prime suspect, Christian B.

It was the former friend of the suspect, Helge Busching who tipped off Scotland Yard in 2017.

The detective explained: “One of my jobs was to check the answer phone messages. On May 18th I checked the answer phone and there was a message.

“It was from a male by the sound of his voice, he spoke good English and he asked to speak to David Edgar (private investigator). He said he had information and he left a Greek mobile number. I then rang this Greek mobile number and spoke to a male I now know to be Helge Lars Busching. He referred to himself as Lars and he gave information in relation to the Madeleine McCann investigation.”

In addition, Kate returned to the front line of the medical community during COVID-19 because of her experience as a nurse. She says that it has helped her to deal with the trauma.

A friend spoke to the media, saying: “Kate’s back working as a doctor. She’s helping out at her local hospitals now and not doing any surgery work. She has thrown herself back into a full-time job to assist others in need. There’s such a demand for qualified medics during these unprecedented times.”

Kate and Gerry also have twin children, Amelie and Sean, who were only two years old when the little girl disappeared. Amelie joined in the efforts to find her older sister recently.

It’s been a long time, but the parents have provided an update. They said: “It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us. It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.

“Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that. Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children.”