Paul Alexander spent the last seven decades of his life in an iron lung after catching polio in 1952 during the midst of an epidemic. Sadly, the published author and lawyer who defied all odds passed away on March 11, 2024, at age 78.

Contracting Polio

Alexander was six years old when he ran outside of his Dallas home to play in the mud and grass. During this time, poliomyelitis was rampant and many people were avoiding crowds and public gatherings. Better known as polio, the virus was highly infectious and spread from person to person through poor hygiene or water contaminated by human feces. When Alexander came home and complained of feeling sick, his mother immediately knew he contracted polio.

Alexander initially stayed at home because his parents believed he had a better chance of recovery away from the children at the hospital who also had polio. After six days, he had to be rushed to Parkland Hospital due to his inability to move or cough to clear the mucus in his lungs.

While Alexander laid in a gurney unable to speak and near death, Dr. Milton Davis quickly performed an emergency tracheotomy. The last thing Alexander remembered was being able to breathe and then waking up in an iron lung. The iron lung was created during the rise of polio which caused 57,628 cases in one year. The large metal box had bellows that pumped air in and out to allow patients to breathe. When air was sucked out of the airtight chamber, the air pressure dropped and the patient’s lungs were able to expand with fresh air.

Fighting the Iron Lung

“I decided I was going to fight this. I was going to have a life.”

Paul Alexander

After Alexander’s parents took him home inside the iron lung, he was still enrolled in elementary school. He continued to pursue his education and graduated as a salutatorian from high school. Although Alexander spent most of his time in the machine, he was able to use a self-taught technique called “frog breathing” and swallow air. With his technique, he would attend lectures and functions in a wheelchair at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and the University of Texas in Austin.

On top of obtaining an undergraduate and law degree, he learned to paint with a brush by using his mouth. In 2020, he published a memoir named Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung, and in 2023, Guinness World Records recognized him as the longest-surviving iron lung patient. Alexander posted videos on TikTok and YouTube, nicknaming himself “Polio Paul” and advocated for the polio vaccination.

Alexander’s brother, Phillip Alexander, said that his death was unclear. He was admitted to the hospital for a Covid-19 infection, but he no longer tested positive during the week of his passing. Paul Alexander was an inspiration to people and influenced them to believe “anything is possible.” The role model will always be remembered for his story and optimistic character. Today, polio has been completely eradicated from the United States after the development of the poliomyelitis vaccine in the 1950s.