Alexander had been using an iron lung since contracting polio in 1952 at the age of 6. The disease left him paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe on his own. Despite his dependence on the device, Alexander attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1978 and a law degree in 1984. During his life, he worked as a lawyer and a teacher; he wrote a memoir, Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung.
Alexander’s brother, Phillip Alexander, said in the update on the GoFundMe that he was grateful for all of the support his brother received from the fundraiser
“It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free,” Phillip says. “It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time. It is absolutely incredible to read all the comments and know that so many people were inspired by Paul. I am just so grateful.”
Under the account name “ironlungman,” Alexander started a TikTok series called “Conversations with Paul,” in which he would answer questions in the comments about his life in the iron lung. The series went on for 10 episodes, and Alexander amassed more than 300,000 followers and 4.5 million likes.
The GoFundMe page, which is no longer accepting donations, raised more than $143,000.
“It means a lot to me because I actually can pay for my expenses,” says Alexander in one of his TikTok videos. “For all the people who have given because they care, I just want to tell you that I love you.”
On Feb. 26, a man named Lincoln posted a video on Alexander’s account, saying that Alexander had been “rushed to the emergency room” the previous week after contracting COVID-19. Alexander had gone home by the time the video was posted but was still in a weak state. It is unclear whether Alexander’s death is due to COVID-19.
The iron lung was a common method of treatment for those with severe cases of polio, as several epidemics of the disease ravaged the country in the mid-20th century. Use of the device became less common as smaller-pressure ventilators were used to treat severe cases. According to an interview Alexander did with The Guardian, he decided not to use one of the new devices as he had already gotten used to life with the iron lung. A vaccine to prevent polio was licensed in 1955.
In 2022, Alexander set the world record for the longest time a person relied on an iron lung for daily use at 70 years. He was one of two people in the United States still using the iron lung on a daily basis; Oklahoma native Martha Lillard has used the iron lung since 1953.
Ismael Belkoura
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