[Obituary] Paul Alexander, who lived for more than 70 years in an 'iron lung' despite suffering respiratory failure due to polio, dies at the age of 78
Paul Alexander was diagnosed with
Fundraiser for Paul Alexander by Christopher Ulmer : Helping Paul Alexander (The Man in the Iron Lung)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/IronLungsPaul
Paul Alexander, polio survivor in iron lung for over 70 years, dies at 78 after Covid diagnosis
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/paul-alexander-polio-survivor-iron-lung-70-years-dies-78-covid-diagnos-rcna143137
'Polio Paul,' who spent most of the past 70 years in an iron lung, dies at 78 | CNN
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/13/health/paul-alexander-polio-iron-lung/index.html
Paul Alexander, lawyer who lived for decades with an iron lung, dies aged 78 | Texas | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/13/paul-alexander-lawyer-who-lived-for-decades-with-an-iron-lung-dies-aged-78
Paul Alexander, polio survivor who lived in iron lung for 70 years, dies age 78 | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/paul-alexander-polio-survivor-who-lived-in-iron-lung-for-70-years-dies-age-78
Born in 1946, Alexander developed polio, a viral infection caused by the poliovirus, in 1952 when he was six years old. Polio is a disease that causes inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord, resulting in irreversible paralysis in about 1 in 200 people, and 5-10% of paralytic polio patients die due to respiratory muscle dysfunction. .
Mr. Alexander suffered from respiratory failure due to paralysis from the neck down, but was saved by being placed on a large ventilator known as an 'iron lung.' The iron lung is a system in which the patient's body from the neck down is placed in an airtight tank, and the tank is subjected to negative pressure, which expands the patient's thorax to force inhalation, and then the pressure is returned to deflate the patient's lungs, causing exhalation. is. By repeating this, it is possible to breathe even if the respiratory muscles are paralyzed.
His mother, Doris Alexander, once said, ``Doctors told us there was little chance that Paul would survive,'' adding, ``There were several times when the power went out and they had to manually pump the iron lung. At that time, the neighbors came running and helped us move the pump.'
You can see how Mr. Alexander lives in the iron lung in the video below.
Living inside a canister: Dallas polio survivor is one of few people left in US using iron lung - YouTube
The giant tank-shaped machine placed in the middle of the room is the iron lung containing Mr. Alexander.
Mr. Alexander's head comes out of an iron lung and he can talk, eat and drink.
Mr. Alexander is being groomed by a caregiver.
Although Alexander was unable to breathe on his own as a child, he continued to homeschool his children even though he was unable to attend school. In addition, he learned the `` glossopharyngeal breathing method, '' in which he uses his tongue and pharynx to swallow air and send it into his lungs, making it possible for him to leave the iron lung for only a few hours a day. According to Alexander, glossopharyngeal breathing is like riding a bicycle and can only be done while awake. Therefore, when I didn't need to go out or when I was sleeping, I continued to live in an iron lung.
Now able to go out, Mr. Alexander went on to university, became a lawyer, appeared in court, and was able to travel on airplanes. In his later years, he began spending most of his time in an iron lung, but in 2020 he published his autobiography , Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung , and in January 2023 he became an ironlungman . He continued his activities energetically, such as opening a TikTok account under the name. Additionally, in March 2023, he was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the person who has survived in an iron lung for the longest time in the world.
Mr. Alexander was diagnosed with the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in late February 2024 and was hospitalized, as reported by his social media manager. As of the end of February, Mr. Alexander had been discharged from the hospital after receiving a negative test result, but he was said to be in such a weakened state that he had difficulty eating and drinking.
Later, on the GoFundMe page of the crowdfunding site set up to support Mr. Alexander, it was reported that Mr. Alexander had passed away on March 11th. He was 78 years old, and the cause of death has not been disclosed. Christopher Ulmer, an American disability rights activist, said: 'After surviving polio as a child, he remained in an iron lung for more than 70 years. During this time, Paul attended university, became a lawyer, and became a writer. 'His story traveled far and had a positive impact on people around the world. Paul was a memorable role model.'
A polio vaccine was developed in the 1950s, and two of the three serotypes have already been declared eradicated. According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, there will be only 30 cases of wild poliovirus worldwide in 2022, a significant decrease from 1988, when there were more than 350,000 cases.
The iron lung also fell into disuse as the number of polio cases declined. Today, airway inserts and face mask ventilators are provided to polio patients who need help breathing.
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