Caris Healthcare admitted a patient who served during the Cuban Missile Crisis. While discussing his Three Most Important Things, a Caris Social Worker discovered he had never received the medals due to him, despite the fact that he had tried several times to get them. The patient explained how incredibly important having the medals was to him.

With the permission of the patient and his wife, the Caris team began petitioning the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and federal and state legislators to expedite delivery of his medals. Thanks to a staff member in Tennessee Congressman Jimmy Duncan’s office, the medals finally were on their way for a formal presentation ceremony.

The military community joined the cause, offering the American Legion building for a formal medal ceremony, a Patriots Guard military escort to the ceremony for the patient, and the presentation of colors by the Tennessee Honor Guard. But a few days before the ceremony was to occur, the patient’s condition began to decline. An after-hours visit determined the patient would not be able to travel to the ceremony. Caris employees went into action, arranging an impromptu medal ceremony for that same day. They contacted the Naval Reserves, which agreed to provide a uniformed officer to present the patient’s medals.

Caris also provided a beautiful cake, punch and flowers for the ceremony. The patient was all smiles as his entire family gathered for the last-minute ceremony. His wife tearfully told the team how much it meant to their whole family to receive the medals that were so long overdue.