It never gets easier.
On May 3, Kate and Gerry McCann shared a heartbreaking message about daughter Madeleine McCann, who disappeared exactly 15 years ago while the family vacationed in Portugal.
"This year we mark fifteen years since we last saw Madeleine," they wrote. "It feels no harder than any other but no easier either. It's a very long time. Many people talk about the need for ‘closure'. It's always felt a strange term. Regardless of outcome, Madeleine will always be our daughter and a truly horrific crime has been committed. These things will remain."
The parents then thanked authorities in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Germany for their "combined police effort" to continue finding answers about Madeleine's whereabouts.
"As always, we would like to thank all of our supporters for their continued good wishes and support," Kate and Gerry continued. "It is a huge comfort to know that regardless of time passed, Madeleine is still in people's hearts and minds."
Madeleine went missing on May 3, 2007 while vacationing in the Algarve region of Portugal with her family. She was only 3 years old when she disappeared from her bedroom at the resort as her mom and dad—also parents to 17-year-old twins Sean and Amelie—dined nearby with friends.
After years of searching for the toddler, she was never found, and no one was ever charged with her disappearance.
However, last month, there was a huge break in the case after a suspect was identified by the Prosecutor's Office in Faro, Portugal. They announced on April 21 that an individual was made an official suspect by German authorities under the request of Portuguese officials, but that person has not been named publicly and has not yet been charged.