Paul Alexander’s Final Days: The Man Who Lived In An Iron Lung His Whole Life

Paul Alexander lived most of his life in an iron lung after contracting polio in the ‘50s. Sadly, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and passed away recently at the age of 78. His family, who had set up a GoFundMe for Paul’s care, announced the tragic news and appreciated donors for their support.

On the crowd-funding platform, Paul’s brother Phillip expressed his gratitude towards everybody who donated to my brother’s fundraiser. “It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free. It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time,” he stated. “It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful.”

Paul Alexander ‘Polio Paul’s final days

GoFundMe organizer Christopher Ulmer praised Paul for his inspiring life despite such debilitating conditions. “His story traveled wide and far, positively influencing people around the world. Paul was an incredible role model that will continue to be remembered,” he wrote. According to Paul’s social media manager, he tested positive for COVID in February and struggled to feed.

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Despite the restrictions due to his health, Paul went to college and established his own legal firm after getting a law degree. He also wrote the book Three Minutes for a Dog where he detailed his life. He also started a TikTok account— Polio Paul, which currently has over 300,000 followers. He talked about his accomplishments and engaged his growing fanbase by answering questions about living in an iron lung.

Paul’s world record

The Guinness Book Of World Records recognized Paul as the longest-surviving iron lung patient last March. It was narrated how he contracted polio in the summer of 1952 as a six-year-old, at a time when Texas was being ravaged by the disease. “I had become immobile,” the late Paul told HealthDay. “I don’t think I could even talk, so the hospital staff put me on a gurney in a long hallway with all the other hopeless polio kids. Most of them were dead.”

Paul was, like other children in the ward, placed in a circular sealed chamber where his head stuck out through an air-tight gasket. He remained there till he was deemed “okay” to leave, and eventually mastered “glossopharyngeal breathing” or “frog breathing” so he could leave the iron lung for extended periods at a time. He held on to life until recently, however, in his lifetime, he had immense gratitude for his deceased parents who “just loved me.”