Polio survivor Paul Alexander dies at 78

Paul Alexander, who survived polio after contracting it at the age of six in 1952 and spent more than 70 years relying on an iron lung, has died at the age of 78.

Alexander is popularly known as ‘The man in the iron lung’.

According to a Daily Mail report published on Wednesday, his team confirmed his passing on Monday through a fundraiser for his healthcare in Dallas, Texas. However, no further details regarding his death were provided.

According to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Mr Alexander’s care, he died on Monday.

Fundraising organiser Christopher Ulmer wrote: “Paul, you will be missed but always remembered. Thanks for sharing your story with us.”

Paul Alexander, a resident of Dallas, Texas, USA, became paralyzed from the neck down after contracting the poliovirus at the age of six in 1952.

After developing symptoms, Paul Alexander was rushed to the hospital where he woke up confined within a mechanical lung. From then on, he became known as “the man with the iron lung” and lived inside it for the rest of his life.

The iron lung served as a substitute for his diaphragm, aiding Mr. Alexander in breathing after a doctor performed a tracheotomy to clear congestion from his lungs following his polio infection.

Inside the metal casing, Mr. Alexander was unable to move or speak, resulting in challenges communicating with the nurses caring for him. Consequently, he would often remain unwashed due to his inability to convey his needs.

Mr. Alexander was among numerous children placed inside iron lungs during a polio outbreak in the United States during the 1950s.

Despite his condition, Mr. Alexander managed to enroll in university and earned a law degree. However, he remained unable to leave the iron lung. Additionally, he published his own memoir in April 2020.

Polio, a serious infection, has become exceedingly rare in both the US and the UK due to widespread vaccination programmes. It is now confined to only a few countries, and the likelihood of contracting it is minimal.

Health officials declared a national incident when the poliovirus was detected in sewage samples collected from London between February and May 2022. However, no associated cases of polio were identified.

There have been no confirmed cases of paralysis due to polio caught in the UK since 1984.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, recurrent epidemics made polio one of the most dreaded diseases globally.

A significant outbreak in New York City in 1916 resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 individuals, while the deadliest recorded outbreak in the United States occurred in 1952, claiming the lives of over 3,000 people.