‘Polio Paul’ Alexander, 78, Dies After 70 years in Iron Lung

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Paul Alexander, a lawyer and author who lived most of his 78-year life in an iron lung due to polio, has passed away. Despite his condition, he graduated college, earned a law degree, and practiced as a courtroom attorney for 30 years. Alexander was also a vocal advocate for polio vaccination and utilized platforms like TikTok, where he had 300,000 followers, to share about his life and experiences.

Iron Lung Lawyer and Author Paul Alexander Passes Away

Paul Alexander, renowned as an author and lawyer despite spending most of his 70 years in an iron lung, died on Monday, confirms his brother Philip Alexander.

The announcement of his death was made Tuesday on a GoFundMe page established to assist with his health care costs.

Philip expressed gratitude on the GoFundMe page, saying, “It is amazing to see so many people inspired by Paul.”

While the exact cause of Paul’s death remains unknown, he had been hospitalized three weeks ago due to a Covid-19 infection.

Paul contracted polio at 6, during the peak of the 1952 epidemic, as recorded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Left paralyzed from the neck down, Paul was placed in an iron lung. Despite doctors’ grim predictions, Paul’s journey was marked by resilience.

In March 2023, Guinness World Records declared him as the world’s longest surviving iron lung patient.

Unrestricted by his condition, Paul achieved noteworthy milestones, including a law degree and a 30-year career as a courtroom attorney.

Paul also penned an autobiography, “Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung,” illustrating his triumph of independent breathing for at least three minutes.

In 2022, Paul shared with CNN his plans for a second book, demonstrating his writing process using a pen attached to a plastic stick in his mouth.

Earlier this year, he launched a “Polio Paul” TikTok account, sharing his life experiences and answering questions about living in an iron lung. His account accumulated 300,000 followers and over 4.5 million likes.

A staunch advocate for polio vaccination, Paul used his platform to encourage immunization against polio to prevent future epidemics.

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