Paul Alexander passes away after 70 years in tank
The 78-year-old survivor of polio, who spent 70 years inside an iron lung, has passed away.
Paul Alexander, also called “Polio Paul”, got sick with polio when he was six years old in 1952. This made him unable to move from the neck down. He was quickly taken to a hospital in Texas and then found himself waking up inside a metal tube where he would spend the rest of his life.
Christopher Ulmer wrote on his GoFundMe page that Paul Alexander, known as ‘The Man in the Iron Lung’, died yesterday.
“Even after having polio as a kid, he spent more than 70 years in an iron lung. ”
During this time, Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and wrote a book that was published.
“His story reached many people and had a positive impact on people all over the world. ” Paul was a really great example to look up to and people will always remember him.
Mr Ulmer said he saw and talked to Mr. Alexander in 2022. Philip, Mr Alexander’s brother, said on the website, “I am thankful to everyone who donated to my brother’s fundraiser. ”
“He said it let him live his final years without any stress. ”
“It will also cover the costs of his funeral during this tough time. ”
“I am amazed to see all the comments and see that many people found inspiration from Paul. ” I am very thankful. Mr Ulmer said: “Paul, we will miss you but we will always remember you. Thank you for telling us your story.
Mr Alexander learned to breathe on his own and could leave his machine for a few hours. He used a plastic stick with a pen attached to tap on a keyboard to talk to people.
He wrote a book about his life called Three Minutes For A Dog.
His health got worse over the past few years. He had trouble breathing and his legs hurt whenever he moved.
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During an interview with The Guardian in April 2020, Mr Alexander talked about being scared during the COVID pandemic.
“It’s just like it was before, it’s almost scary to me,” he said about how similar the polio outbreak in the 1950s is to COVID-19.
“I am afraid. ”
Mr Alexander remembered how people reacted when they saw him. He said, “Many people came into my office and saw my iron lung and asked, ‘What is that. ‘ I would tell them, ‘It’s an iron lung’. ”
“What is its purpose. ” “It breathes on my behalf. “