Paul Alexander, widely known as ‘the man in the iron lung’ has passed on at the age of 78 after spending more than 70 years of his life inside an iron lung machine.
Paul contracted polio when he was six years old in 1956 and was left paralysed from neck down.
Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that can spread from one person to another and can cause paralysis.
He could only leave his iron lung a few hours at a time after teaching himself to breathe.
For seventy plus years, Paul had mastered a way to live with his condition until recently when his health started deteriorating.
Writing on Alexander’s GoFundMe page, Christopher Ulmer, organizer and disability-rights activist, said on Tuesday 12, March : ‘Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung”, passed away yesterday.
Despite his limitations, Paul’s determination and resilience in the face of physical challenges were truly remarkable as he refused to let them define him or hold him back from pursuing his goals.
His commitment to education not only showcased his own thirst for knowledge but also served as a beacon of inspiration for those around him.
At 21, he graduated second in his class from W.W.Samuel High School in 1967, becoming the first person to graduate from Dallas high school without physically attending a class.
He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in 1978, then Juris Doctor in 1984.
His supporters have expressed their heartfelt condolences and praising him as an inspiration.
“He had the will I never had, rest on man” One user commented on X.
“A life of resilience: Paul Alexander’s journey inspires beyond the confines of an iron lung” User Fedon commented.
