How one caregiver’s simple coin for veterans became a symbol of healing

At AdventHealth Waterman, Kurt Lathrop, patient care technician, keeps a few challenge coins in his pocket and a big purpose in his heart.

Challenge coins are small, palm-size medallions first established by the military as a special recognition for service members, later adopted by public safety organizations to honor dedication, achievement and belonging.

With a quiet knock and, when appropriate, an offered handshake, he turns a bedside visit into a moment of honor at the Tavares hospital.

The idea began at home. His son, Daniel, a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division who served in Iraq and lives with a service-connected disability, asked, “Why not honor veteran patients with a challenge coin?”

Lathrop knew the power of that tradition. After 27 years in the fire service, he received a chief’s coin when he was named Florida’s Fire Investigator of the Year, and he never forgot how it felt.

With leaders’ support, Lathrop researched the practice, proposed a simple ritual, and ordered a custom coin supported by the AdventHealth Waterman Foundation.

Since spring 2025, he has honored 50 patients across multiple floors at AdventHealth Waterman. He partners with nurses to identify hospitalized veterans and chooses a respectful moment to present the coin.

What happens next is often felt before a word is spoken.

“I hope this gesture, especially on Veterans Day, inspires others to find their own ways to honor those who’ve served,” Lathrop said. “We do it because of their service to our country, and for how they served. That’s how gratitude becomes healing and service lives on.”

Vietnam-era veterans sometimes pause to steady themselves. Families lean in. Stories of service surface that might not appear in a busy day or in any waiting room. In a clinical setting, the exchange builds trust and opens conversations that help teams care for the whole person.

“Kurt’s tradition embodies what it means to help people feel whole,” said Lisa Bowman, chief nursing officer at AdventHealth Waterman. “It’s one small act of compassion that reaches beyond medicine. It touches the heart, restores dignity and reminds each veteran that they’re seen and valued.”

The tradition is commonly traced to World War I, when a pilot’s coin bearing his unit insignia helped prove his identity and sparked a lasting symbol of pride and unity.

At AdventHealth Waterman, that spirit becomes a bridge between military life and recovery, between patient and caregiver.