HOUSTON, United States
Paul Alexander, an American who became famous more than 70 years ago for living inside an iron lung, died Monday at the age of 78, according to media outlets.
Although the cause of his death has not been revealed, Alexander, who lived in the U. S. state of Texas, was rushed to a Dallas hospital last February after contracting the coronavirus, according to his social media manager, Lincoln, who posted a video on TikTok. explaining Alexander’s physical condition at the time.
“He tested positive for COVID, which is actually detrimental to someone in his condition . . . thankfully, they have an iron lung in the hospital just for him,” reads the video, which goes on to say that Alexander was suffering from post-COVID effects upon his release.
“Unfortunately he’s still a little weak, there’s still some confusion, he’s having trouble eating and hydrating,” she said.
A GoFundMe page had already been set up to help cover Alexandre’s medical expenses, but family and friends announced his death on Tuesday.
“I am so (grateful) to everybody who donated to my brother’s fundraiser,” said Philip Alexander on the GoFundMe site. “It allowed him to live his last few years stress-free. It will also pay for his funeral during this difficult time.”
Alexander was diagnosed with polio at the age of 6, at the height of the polio epidemic in 1952.
Within a week, the disease paralyzed him and shut down his lungs. He stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the time.
“This happened several times during the rest of my life,” Alexander said in an interview where he explained that he had a tracheostomy to bring air into his lungs and that he had regained consciousness in an iron lung. “I thought I had gone to hell. “
Doctors advised his parents that he would not survive long in the iron lung, but Alexander defied all medical odds and lived for nearly three-quarters of a century. Last March, he was declared the longest-surviving iron lung patient by Guinness World Records.
“Her story has traveled all over the world, definitely influencing others around the world,” GoFundMe organizer Christopher Ulmer said in a statement.
Alejandro lived a long and complete life in his more than seven decades. He went to school and earned a law degree, founded his law firm, and published his memoir in 2020.
He also started a TikTok account where he called himself “Polio Paul” and answered questions about what life was like in an iron lung. Alexander had 300,000 followers on the social media platform at the time of his death.
“Paul had an incredible style of role that will be remembered,” Ulmer said.