- March 9, 2025
Joseph Parthemore has been in and out of the hospital for his entire first three years of life. When he was born, he showed signs of respiratory distress. He also suffered deformities to his feet and hands.
Doctors soon learned that Jospeh has a rare disorder that causes abnormal muscle development and stiff joints. His diaphragm and one lung were paralyzed.
Joseph’s father, Dan Parthemore, doesn’t know exactly how many surgeries his son has had. He has lost count by now, but estimates between 15 and 20.
Dan Parthemore is a deputy with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. He is a single father, so he works full-time and picks up additional shifts when possible. Even though he has health insurance, it doesn’t nearly cover the cost of Joseph’s treatment.
That’s why the Blue Knights Chapter XXII, a group of retired law enforcement officers, is the best thing that has ever happened to Dan Parthemore.
“I was once told there’s only one person who looks after a cop, and that’s another cop,” Blue Knight Jeff Parthemore said at a Wednesday night meeting of the Blue Knights, clapping his son, Dan Parthemore, on the back.
The Blue Knights recognized Kenneth Davidson at its Wednesday meeting for donating an SUV to Dan Parthemore, which he can use to drive between Palm Coast and Jacksonville, where Joseph receives treatment.
George Zampella, a member of the chapter, brought Davidson and Parthemore together.
“We’re the Blue Knights,” Zampella said at the meeting. “We take of ourselves and of others and the community. ... This is only the beginning.”
The chapter formed a committee — the Joseph Care Committee — that will work to raise additional support. It met for the first time immediately after Wednesday’s regular meeting.
“The Blue Knights have changed everything,” Dan Parthemore said, adding that he incurs about $15,000 annually in medical costs his insurance does not cover. “I’m so grateful. They’re letting me be a dad and keep my home.”
