The parents of missing US journalist Austin Tice gave an incredibly emotional interview Wednesday morning, pledging to do whatever it takes to see their son return home.
Tice has been missing in Syria now for more than two years. He was taken captive in August 2012 and has not been seen since. He had been covering the uprising conflict and working as a freelancer for The Washington Post and McClatchy newspapers.
His mother, Debra Tice, said in an interview with CBS News that her son's taking felt like a "chunk of our heart was locked away from us." She said she still had optimism and hope.
"We just want our child back," she said. "We want to do whatever it takes."
But that strong hope was questioned when she heard the news that American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff had been killed by the Islamic State. Foley and Sotloff were also freelance journalists reporting in Syria before they went missing.
"It was just such a gut punch," Tice's mother said. "Because we had such hope that that would never happen to an American journalist."
Tice's father was unable to speak for most of the interview, and broke down while talking about his son's generosity and compassion for others. He said that no matter what, when his son comes home, "we will all be changed."