More than a year after their son disappeared without a trace, a Melbourne family is holding out hope he is still alive and well.
Tej Chitnis was last seen leaving his parents' home in April 2016.
He is among 2,000 people listed as long-term missing in Australia, leaving desperate families searching for answers.
As the annual Missing Persons Awareness Week begins, friends and supporters joined the Chitnis couple in a charity run to raise money for the Missing Persons Advocacy Network.
Each year, about 38,000 Australians are reported missing, two-thirds of them under age 18.
Most are found between 48 hours and a week later.
Near Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market, a mural of Tej Chitnis serves as a reminder of the more than 2,000 long-term missing -- those not seen for three months or longer.
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