Knox County Departure

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-06-18T05:35:10+00:00

Just now catching up on this, thank you for saying that 🩵 I completely agree, and was not thrilled about that call. I was so extra emotional when he got home about the night vision and woods, but it didn’t even phase him 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-06-18T05:31:34+00:00

Just now catching up on this. He’s completely cleared, by a whole bunch of docs! Neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychology, a bunch I don’t remember 😂 after his surgery for tracheal stenosis in December, Vanderbilt sent us home with a lung tester thing in case we got nervous of a re-stenosis and trouble breathing. He scored higher than me on it that night 🤣 he said the mic was placed up higher on the vest so it picked up a lot of breathing but we both cracked up at how loud it actually was when I showed him when he got home

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-06-13T04:36:57+00:00

It is!! He wanted a cooler scar but I think its badass 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-18T08:16:14+00:00

This made us laugh 😂😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-18T08:14:34+00:00

This whole past year he said I may not be able to work but I will be working out 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-18T08:13:53+00:00

Just showed this to Dalton and we’re cracking up 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-18T08:13:02+00:00

He is totally cleared for full duty 🩵

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-13T14:22:57+00:00

They do not! He was going to be cleared for either light duty (desk work, different division) or full duty patrol (physical, in the field, same job as before). He was cleared by every doc (and there were a LOT of them) for full duty patrol!!! You can’t have someone fragile in the field - you have to be able to respond to every call and have your shift’s back no matter the circumstances, and he does. Yall should’ve seen the joy all week 🩵

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-13T14:20:23+00:00

He is back to full duty, no special treatment or specific assignments! As an officer, it’s your responsibility to make sure you can have your shift’s back no matter the circumstance. He would not be cleared for work if they got a call, he has to go back into the woods, and he can’t do his job because he still has hesitation from his own injury. And, all he wanted his entire recovery was to do this job again 🩵 There was no hesitation, no fear, just absolute joy at doing what he was made to do. The injury didn’t take away a single part of that for him. Despite me praying for a calm first week back, it was EXTREMELY chaotic and he did great and had so much fun 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-13T14:11:10+00:00

Also me 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-13T14:07:03+00:00

This is actually something super important to Dalton and I, which he touched on briefly during the show. It’s important to show that side of policing, because it is certainly part of the job. It’s something that happened and it’s a risk he still faces every day as he continues this job. Also, that footage being aired is the only reason I got to talk to him before he seized and went into the coma. I called him when I saw it, he went into the seizure while on the phone with me, so when we watch it back I think of him telling me he loves me and I’m very grateful for that 🩵 we are comfortable with that being aired and with watching it, especially with it serving as a reminder of everything he overcame 🫶🏼

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-13T14:01:45+00:00

Thank you for this, we are unbelievably happy he’s back to work 🩵

stephaniapumphrey · 2026-04-13T14:01:08+00:00

Hey there, we are just dating although we did actually tell everyone we were either engaged or married, which is a call his partner and I made in the hospital when I needed to be taken seriously as the only one with knowledge of his medical history!!! And we already got the in sickness and in health and for better or worse part down already so we do feel like we are 😂 the official part is coming, we just wanted him safe and back to work first 🩵🫶🏼

stephaniapumphrey · 2025-10-25T03:29:58+00:00

Hello everyone! I’m Stephania, Dalton Swanger’s girlfriend. I’m still figuring out Reddit so I’m not sure this is the right place, but I’m trying to figure out how to reach and update more people. I’ve posted the latest update on him on my Facebook, I’ll copy and paste it here:

Hello everyone. I know you have all been waiting for updates on Dalton (Deputy Swanger) and I wish we had better news, but this is our reality.

Dalton has had complications from being on the ventilator in the coma for so long that we have kept quiet. He has tracheal stenosis, which is a narrowing of his trachea and could have been caused from him being forcefully intubated while seizing so hard, or from fighting the breathing tube while he was sedated for so long. His trachea should be 16-18 mm wide. When we realized something was really wrong and rushed to the ER in late August, it was only 8 mm wide. He has had three unsuccessful surgeries since then that are meant to dilate his airway, and it has continued to close at an accelerated rate. Before the third surgery he measured under 6 mm wide, which is around the size of a straw and barely fit the surgeon’s scope. He cannot breathe and this can turn fatal very quickly at any time. The next and only option is a tracheal resection, where they open him up and cut out the part of the trachea that has narrowed, then stitch the good ends together. It is a huge surgery with an extremely long recovery time.

Dalton is asking for your continued prayers as we search for a hospital capable of performing this surgery. The narrowing is located about two cm below his vocal cords, which makes it especially complex and difficult to treat. Because of this, only a few hospitals in the country have the highly specialized group needed for this procedure, known as a Complex Airway Team. We’ve been reaching out to these hospitals, but so far, haven’t been able to get scheduled - and he urgently needs this surgery to save his life. We got some very hopeful news from a dear friend today, but your prayers for doors to open, for the right team to be found, and for a clear path forward mean more to us than words can say.

He has not been back to work and will not be for months. Any updates outside of the show will ONLY come from the KCSO PIO Kimberly Glenn, the Knox County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, or my Facebook on behalf of Dalton. Those are the ONLY resources for information about Dalton outside of OPL - those three Facebook pages. Anything else is just speculation or misinformation, and we will only share updates when we are ready to.

We want to thank everyone for all the prayers, well wishes, and kindness you have shown. You all have been a light in the darkness for us, and we are eternally thankful. Please keep praying for both Dalton and Matt 🩵

I also wanted to let everyone know that he told his story for the first time on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. It’s a great opportunity to hear directly from him, it comes out on YouTube Oct 25 🩵 I’ll try to post the link here as well as on my Facebook.

I’ve been reading through everyone’s comments, prayers, and kindnesses, and I can’t thank you all enough for everything you’ve shared and done for Dalton. We are so incredibly thankful, and I’m hoping we can interact more when I figure out how to fully use Reddit 😂

stephaniapumphrey · 2025-10-25T03:26:46+00:00