Paul Alexander, a guy who suffered from “iron lung,” dies at age 78

Paul Alexander, sometimes referred to as “Polio Paul,” passed away at the age of 78. According to the Mirror, he was paralyzed by polio and had survived since 1952 with the aid of a seven-foot iron lung.

After contracting polio at the age of six in Dallas, Texas, Alexander was left paralyzed and placed in an iron lung, a device that kept him alive for 70 years.

On the other hand, an update on his GoFundMe page on Tuesday stated that Alexander died on Monday, March 11.

“Paul Alexander, ‘The Man in the Iron Lung,’ passed away yesterday,” the message states. He lived for more than 70 years inside of an iron lung that was created for the first time in 1927, having survived childhood polio.

Paul attended college, graduated, and started a career as a published author during this time. His tale spread far and wide, having a good impact on people all throughout the world.”

A statement from his brother Philip was also posted on the page, stating: “My brother’s fundraiser raised a lot of money, and I want to thank everyone who contributed.” It made the latter years of his life stress-free. It will also cover his burial expenses at this trying time.

“Reading through all of the comments and seeing how many people Paul inspired is just amazing. I’m really very appreciative.”

Christopher Ulmer, the page’s organizer, has disabled new contributions to the GoFundMe, which paid for his accommodation and medical expenses.

In 2020, Paul released his autobiography, “Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung,” and Guinness World Records acknowledged him as the person who had lived in an iron lung for the longest period of time.

Around 0.5% of cases of polio, which mostly affected the central nervous system and caused widespread sickness and mortality in the mid-1900s, resulted in paralysis.

Following a drive to vaccinate Americans with the 1953 vaccine developed by virologist Jonas Salk—which proved vital for individuals suffering from pulmonary paralysis—the US proclaimed itself free of polio in 1979.