Texas man who lived in iron lung for seven decades dies

Paul Alexander, a Texas man who spent seven decades living in an iron lung after being diagnosed with polio in 1952, has died at the age of 78 according to his brother Philip. Paul Alexander became a social media sensation in recent months. Diagnosed at the age of 6 as the disease swept through Dallas, Alexander was left paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on an iron lung to breathe.

Despite these challenges, he achieved remarkable milestones, graduating from college, earning a law degree, and practicing law for 30 years. Alexander also penned an autobiography, sharing his life’s journey.

“It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful,” Philip said on the GoFundMe page.

His cause of death has not been specified, but his passing comes weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19.

In January, Alexander launched the TikTok account “Polio Paul,” quickly amassing hundreds of thousands of followers. Through his posts, he answered questions about his life and strongly advocated for polio vaccination for children, drawing widespread attention to his story and the importance of the vaccine.

“The doctors told us Paul could not possibly live,” Doris Alexander, Paul’s mother, said in his autobiography. “There were a few times when the electrical power failed and then the lung had to be pumped by hand.”