Paul Alexander, polio survivor who spent over 70 years in iron lung, dead at 78

[Ματθιας]

Paul Alexander, polio survivor who spent over 70 years in iron lung, dead at 78

Alexander spent more than 70 years living in a metal chamber to help him breathe after he contracted polio in the 1950s

By Michael Dorgan Fox News
Published March 13, 2024 9:09am EDT

Paul Alexander, polio survivor who spent over 70 years in iron lung, dead at 78

Paul Alexander, known as "the man in the iron lung," having spent most of his life living inside a metal chamber that helped him breathe, has died aged 78, a fundraiser for his health care confirmed Tuesday...

..."In this time Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author," wrote Christopher Ulmer, who created a GoFundMe page for Alexander to help finance his health care needs...

...He pursued his dreams of becoming a trial lawyer and represented clients in court in a three-piece suit and a modified wheelchair that held his paralyzed body upright.

 

[Ματθιας]

"My story is an example of why your past or even your disability does not have to define your future." Paul Alexander,

This man's life story is enough to make a person think!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Astounding! That certainly puts one's life into perspective.

Remind me to never whine about my middling woes.

 

[CH4]

I feel restless, claustrophobic just reading about it.

 

[Maddog 521]

His life story is amazing.

 

[bgrafsr]

I cannot imagine living in an iron lung.

 

[Bajadoc]

I don't even like being in an elevator.......

 

[SMSgt]

I cannot imagine living in an iron lung.

And not being able to pull the plug.

 

[rwsmith]

My best friend......

...was on braces/crutches his whole life. His joints gave out the last few years of his life and when he died, I honestly felt relief. He refused to use wheelchair and had to live on oxycodone. To Steve and Paul, who braved through a lifelong existance here most of us can't even imagine.

 

[Skeet 028]

Polio was a somewhat prevalent disease when I was a kid. I knew of 3 people who lived with/ in an iron lung. 2 passed away by the time I was 8 or 9. There were quarantine signs on houses. People died. Surprisingly I acquired a touch of it..with my right leg being smaller than the other and I drag my right foot a bit. . My wife was hospitalized with the disease for a year...one leg is significantly smaller than the other. She doesn't really talk about it with anyone. She and many others were very lucky. I really wasn't very aware I had been touched by the darn disease until my doctor told me about it 10-11 years later when I was 16. He gave me my first two vaccine injections. I had a very good friend at about 5-6 years old who was hospitalized and was gone...and I never realized why for years. People didn't talk of such things...especially to kids. How someone could live with an iron lung 70 years is just amazing to me. There were a lot of people who were mildly and severely affected by Polio. We don't know how lucky we are today. Rest in Peace Mr Alexander.

 

[dockmurgw]

People didn't talk of such things...especially to kids.

So true. It was years after the fact that I learned the truth, and the reason my toddler photos include a wheelchair. Glad you and your wife got through it OK as I did.

 

[rwsmith]

Because it was......

......... People didn't talk of such things...especially to kids. How someone could live with an iron lung 70 years is just amazing to me. There were a lot of people who were mildly and severely affected by Polio. We don't know how lucky we are today. Rest in Peace Mr Alexander.

Polio was a TERROR disease. I'm going to take this opportunity to salute Hank Viscardi Jr., who was a pioneer in American disability rights. I can't remember what caused the loss of his legs, but he was instrumental in fighting against the word 'crippled'. He lived from 1912 to 2004.

 

[oink]

No mention of Jonas Salk?

 

[rwsmith]

Let's mention both...

No mention of Jonas Salk?

Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin. Sabin was a research professor at the Medical University here for a time.

 

[Skeet 028]

So true. It was years after the fact that I learned the truth, and the reason my toddler photos include a wheelchair. Glad you and your wife got through it OK as I did.

The recollection I have is at about the age of 4 or so...My father working on my legs. I didn't know why.. I just remember what he did hurt. Oh I also wasn't allowed to wear shorts as a kid. People were afraid to be around people afflicted. I was also encouraged to ride a bicycle. I didn't know it as a kid. I learned it later from my old county doctor. Wife and I were talking yesterday. Her father worked on her legs until she was about 11. There were some lucky kids and some not so. How did the nurses doctors and hospital workers deal with being around the disease such as the picture of all the iron lungs??

 

[Kinman]

I had a good friend that had polio early in his life, it stunted his leg growth. He overcame the disease which resulted in him having legs shorter than his stature would have by design. His kids used to make fun of him when he ran, I'll never forget it. We were playing softball and Don was running from 1st to 2nd and his kids started whooping and hollering, laughing about funny their dad looked when he ran...kids.
I grew up for a couple years with a kid in braces and full on crutches. His family were German immigrants and great people. Johnny did just about everything we did and kept up as long as we were not on bicycles. Tough....would be my best impression about Johnny, had to be tough or simper off whining about your predicament. Tough