DPD Officer Wears More Than A Badge And A Gun
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Police officers put their lives on the line every day. But one remarkable Dallas officer is working while literally fighting for his life.
Sergeant Greg Epley wears a badge, carries a gun and police radio, but he is likely the only Dallas Police officer who heads to work wearing a feeding tube as well.
"It's been about a month and a half," says Epley. "The feeding tube doesn't bother me that much it's just the pain."
Epley is a 15-year veteran who had a recurrence of tongue cancer first treated in 2010.
"It is what it is I'm not complaining. He has trouble speaking after surgery last month to replace bones in his jaw with bones from his leg.
"Just got hit with bad luck I never did use tobacco," he says.
Even though Epley spends most of his time at work on a computer, you may be asking why he is working at all.
"If I'm not working I'm not getting paid," he says.
Epley says his city provided insurance didn't cover all of his medical bills so for now he relies on pain medicine and dedication to duty while on his overnight shift.
"I won't trade my problems for anybody else's problems, that's how I feel about it," he says.
Epley says his bills from his first round of cancer treatment were so high he doesn't even know the total and he has more coming from his latest bout.
His friends have set up a GoFundMe page.
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