Behind every missing person, there are those living with the daily torment of not knowing what happened to their loved one - Patrick Thaidy's family can attest to that.
The 60-year-old is one of more than two dozen people who police classify as long-term missing persons in the Hunter and Central Coast regions.
Mr Thaidy vanished from Macquarie Hills late last year and, to mark National Missing Persons Week, his family is repeating an appeal for information that could help solve the mystery of his disappearance.
His niece Dianne Dodds, who runs a Facebook page called Bring Patrick Thaidy Home, told the Newcastle Herald that Mr Thaidy was a father-of-four, a former Australian boxing champion and was dearly missed.
"He is a loving, gentle man," Ms Dodds said.
"He has three sons and a daughter who are worried sick.
"I just want him back home with his family, safe where he belongs."
Mr Thaidy was seen at his home on Delasala Drive about midnight on December 6.
He was then captured on CCTV footage on Macquarie Road at Cardiff about 9.25am on December 6 and on the same road at Warners Bay just before 10am.
His family and police hold serious concern for his welfare - Mr Thaidy lives with dementia and chronic illness and did not have his medication with him when he vanished.
Despite multiple searches, Mr Thaidy has not been found.
According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Missing Persons Register, there are at least 29 people unaccounted for across the Hunter and Central Coast.
Those on the register are long-term missing persons, meaning they have not been seen for at least three months. Many have been missing for years or even decades.
Zac Barnes, Dylan Dickie, Amanda Robinson, Robyn Hickie, Gordana Kotevski, David Webber, Lawrence Anderson, Rhydian Trent Morgan, Christopher Chillingworth, Michael Fowler and Steven Fenwick are just some of the names on the register with a link to the Hunter.
More than 51,000 missing persons reports were made across Australia in 2020, according to the AFP.
There are about 2500 people on the long-term missing persons register nationwide.
Anyone with information that could help in the search for a missing person can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
National Missing Persons Week runs until August 7.
