SAN ANTONIO — After facing her own struggles with The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Adrianne Coward decided to start a patient advocacy business. A big part of that business is advocating for veterans' health care. 

Earl Root does physical therapy aquatics at a rehab facility in San Antonio.

"It's mostly moving the bottom part of my body right now,” Root explained.

It is a therapy he almost did not get, had it not been for Coward.

Root had hip surgery at Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center in June, but says he did not get much help after that.

"He was told by his orthopedic surgeon that he was going to be admitted to the inpatient rehab facility in Kerrville. Somewhere there was a drop of the ball. And instead of them finding placement for him, he was sent home without any physical therapy, [or] any follow-up appointment in the orthopedic clinic at the Audie Murphy," said Coward.

Coward stepped in instead. She is working to make sure Root receives the care she believes he earned and so desperately needs.

"Don't get me wrong, I love my country but when it comes to certain parts, not very efficient,” Root said. “And because Adrianne had a lot of similar experiences, she just knew where to send me and who to talk to."

Coward faced her own battle with the VA.

"Well unfortunately, on February 19, 2019, is when my whole life changed,” Coward said. “I had my knee replaced at Audie Murphy VA and complications arose. They damaged some nerves. They cut my MCL.”

She says six months later, she had to get her knee replaced again.

Too fearful to give the VA another chance, this time she turned to care outside of the VA.

Coward figures she is not alone. She launched Monarch Patient Advocates for people like her.

"Been a nurse for 25-plus years, I knew if I was having difficulties, then I started wondering about that 80-year-old veteran,” Coward said.

She is now traveling city to city helping veterans like Root get what they need.

When we reached out, the South Texas Veterans Health Care System gave us this statement:

"Thank you for contacting the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and bringing these matters to our attention. South Texas will work with the Veterans directly."

Root says he doesn't know what he would have done without Coward.

"A lot of veterans cannot afford to go outside the VA. They're like a house of cards and all it's going to take is one doctor and one nurse to be willing to speak up and that will collapse," he said. 

And he pleads for care at the VA to be analyzed, so veterans like him don't get left behind.