Paul Alexander, “The Man in the Iron Lung,” lived an inspiring life despite spending most of it inside a metal respirator from the 1920s.
After contracting polio in 1952 at age six, Paul was left paralyzed and placed in an iron lung. Though doctors didn’t expect him to survive, he defied the odds, enduring 18 months in the machine and eventually learning to breathe on his own using a technique called “frog-breathing.”
Despite physical limitations, Paul graduated high school with honors, earned a law degree, and practiced law for over 30 years. He typed a memoir with a pen attached to a stick and became a symbol of resilience and determination.
Paul preferred his iron lung over modern ventilators and maintained it with spare parts found in barns and garages. He famously said, “I never gave up,” and lived to prove wrong those who doubted him.
Paul passed away in March 2024, remembered for his courage, intelligence, and unshakable spirit.