Paul Alexander: The Man in the Iron Lung
Paul Alexander lived a remarkable life. After contracting polio at age six in 1952, he was left paralyzed and required an iron lung to breathe—a machine dating back to 1928. Despite the odds, Paul refused to let his condition define him.
“I’m not going to accept anyone’s limitations on my life. Not gonna do it. My life is incredible,” he once said.
After a misdiagnosis left him nearly declared dead, a second doctor saved him with an emergency tracheotomy. Paul woke up three days later, unable to move or speak, surrounded by rows of children in iron lungs.
Polio was rampant in the U.S. at the time—nearly 58,000 people were infected in 1952 alone. But Paul’s spirit remained unbroken. He fought to regain some breathing independence using a technique called “frog-breathing,” and gradually spent more time outside the iron lung.
Despite being rejected by schools for being “too crippled,” he graduated high school with honors and became the first person to do so without attending in person. He later earned a law degree, passed the bar, and practiced law for 30 years.
He also wrote a memoir by typing with a pen attached to a stick. Even with newer technology available, Paul preferred his iron lung, sourcing parts from abandoned machines to keep it running.
Paul passed away in March 2024, remembered not for his condition but for his resilience, warmth, and determination.
“I wanted to accomplish the things I was told I couldn’t. And I did.”