It was the miracle in Missouri. Shawn Hornbeck was returned to his family, four and a half years after being kidnapped. His parents believe this latest case proves families of missing kids should never give up hope.
"It really gives you a big boost because it vindicates everything that we've been saying," said Craig Akers, Hornbeck's stepfather. "That you shouldn't give up hope, that it's possible those kids are out there."
Like Jaycee Dugard, Shawn Hornbeck was also 11-years-old when he was kidnapped. His parents searched, and hoped and prayed for his safe return. Then four and a half years later, he and another boy were found in the home of Michael Devlin.
Hornbeck's parents said the child's return is not the end of the ordeal. It's the beginning of the healing process.
"The first year Shawn was home was almost as hard as the four and a half years of him being gone," said Hornbeck's mother, Pam Akers. "For me as a mother, all the nightmares that I had the whole time he was gone, I finally found out they were true. So you have to live with that. And you have to live with, how do you heal?"
"When we were put in that situation our thought was, we're not going to ask a lot of questions," Craig said. "When the time comes we'll get our answers."
But the Akers said they are living proof that families can be successfully reunited. They say Shawn is doing well, studying hard, and planning for college.
"Shawn is a picture of a normal 18-year-old at this point. He still does a lot better than I do at times," Pam said. "It's just...they can become a family, they can become whole once again."
They hope Shawn's story, and now Jaycee's, brings hope to other families. They believe there are other missing children still out there.
"It's just more proof that it can happen. No matter how many years, how many months, how many hours it's been, it can happen," Pam said.
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