Paul Alexander, lawyer who lived with an iron lung for decades, dies at the age of 78

Paul Alexander, who lived much of his life in an iron lung after contracting polio at the age of six, has died at the age of 78.

The Texas native was left paralyzed from the neck down by the disease and became an inspirational figure. He graduated from law school, wrote a memoir and painted with a brush he held in his mouth.

In an update on a fundraising page which was set up to raise money for his medical and housing bills, organizer Christopher Ulmer announced: “Paul Alexander, ‘the man in the iron lung’, passed away yesterday.

“After surviving polio as a child, he lived in an iron lung for more than 70 years. During this time, Paul went to college, became a lawyer, and a published author. His story traveled far and wide and positively influenced people around the world. Paul was an incredible role model who will still be remembered.”

The announcement quoted Alexander’s brother Philip as saying that the money already raised would be used to pay his funeral bills. “It’s absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people have been inspired by Paul. I am so grateful,” Philip is reported to have said.

Although Alexander spent much of his time in the mechanical ventilator – which used pressure to artificially pump air into his lungs – he was not completely confined to it. He taught himself to breathe by gulping air and forcing it down his throat, allowing him to represent clients in court, travel by plane and attend protests against disability rights. Alexander told the Guardian in 2020 that this breathing technique was similar to cycling, but he could only do it while awake. In his final years, however, Alexander was almost permanently limited to the 300 kg machine.

Iron lungs saved thousands of children during polio epidemics, but were only intended for short periods of time. When vaccines were administered in the late 1950s, they largely disappeared and other ventilators inserted directly into the throat became more common. Alexander said he preferred not to undergo invasive surgery and continued to live in the iron lung, becoming one of the last people in the world to do so. Doctors never expected him to live so long.

Alexander rose to prominence over the years, following media attention for the long time he spent in the iron lung. He was recently recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “longest iron lung patient”.

In his Guardian interviews, Alexander said he became an activist by accident. ‘You have to understand that there were no cripples then… Wherever I went, I was the only one. Restaurant, movie theater… I thought, ‘Wow, there’s no one else here. “I’ll just pave the way,” he said. “I saw myself as a representative of a group. That’s why I fought. ‘What do you mean, I can’t go there anymore? I want to go back there!’ ‘You can not do that.’ ‘Oh yes, I can!’ I was always fighting.”